Out to Get You
by Wicked Swann
Summary: Eric's obsession with his new human toy may drive his vampire lover into Bill's arms now that Sookie has kicked him out, if a bomb at Fangtasia doesn't kill them all. Sam has a lot on his plate when Merlotte's is unexpectedly shut down. Fourth in series.
1. Chapter 1

Margaret Hunter, known to her human friends as Peggy, was sitting alone in a booth at Fangtasia when Bill Compton appeared silently beside her. Peggy wasn't particularly startled by Bill's stealthy arrival, though she did turn her head towards him and arched an eyebrow. She didn't speak, simply waited to hear what Bill had to say. Whatever it was, he did not appear to be in a hurry to say it because he remained silent for a length of time that soon passed from awkward into painful.

Peggy crooked a finger at one of Fangtasia's harried waitresses and after a few more long, silent moments, they were delivered two bottles of True Blood. Fangtasia was very short on waitresses at the moment. Lately none of them seemed to last long, and Peggy had begun to suspect this had to do with one of the regular vampire customers' predilection for them. She made a mental note to discuss it with Eric Northman, the owner of the bar and her lover of almost three years.

"Is Eric available tonight?" Bill asked finally.

This might have seemed an odd question, considering that from their booth Bill and Peggy both had a clear view of Eric. The large, gorgeous blond Viking vampire was sprawled over his "throne," a large chair set up on a dais where he could see all the patrons of Fangtasia and they could see him as well. Sitting on the low chair beside him was a human female with dark hair and eyes, staring at him in utter rapt attention. Peggy caught a flash of fang and knew that the girl would be Eric's meal tonight.

She tried to evaluate her feelings to see if she was jealous. After all, she had once been Eric's human plaything before her friend Christopher Santiago of New Orleans had made her a vampire. Tonight, Peggy felt nothing. She was secure in her relationship with Eric. They both fed on humans. The girl was no more than a cow. She was young and pretty, but she could not hold Eric's attention for long. Besides, whatever lust the girl might rouse in Eric would be brought home and spent on Peggy. Even when she and Eric didn't talk much, their sex life was spectacular, she reflected.

"He won't want to be interrupted," Peggy told Bill frankly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I find I have a rather embarrassing request," Bill replied in a plaintive tone. Peggy turned her head and looked at him, noting the gleam of his thick, shiny hair under the red flashing lights of the bar. His dark eyes were filled with a deep and painful emotion. She took in his clothing, the pressed khakis and dark blue button down shirt. To those unfamiliar with their kind, he could have passed for human. Peggy herself was wearing a lacy black dress that Eric had picked out. It clung to the lines of her body and made her look even more blonde and curvaceous than she was.

"Is Sookie all right?" Peggy asked with alarm. Bill had married her friend Sookie Stackhouse a little under a year ago. The wedding had been something of a disaster, but afterwards the couple had seemed happy.

"Sookie is fine," Bill said firmly.

"But?"

"She is angry with me."

"And why is that?"

Bill sighed. "I would prefer not to discuss it."

Peggy frowned, tempted to pull out her cell phone and call Sookie right then. She hadn't spoken to her friend in a few days, but Sookie hadn't indicated that she was unhappy when they last spoke. Peggy decided that the call could wait at least until she was out of Bill's sight. Besides, Sookie would be working at Merlotte's tonight, and Sam Merlotte hated when his waitresses got calls at work.

"I see," Peggy said, even though she didn't.

"I am wondering," said Bill, "If it is not too much of an imposition, may I sleep at your house for a few days?"

Peggy's blue eyes grew round. "Bill—"

"Please, Margaret," Bill said. He put his hand over hers on the table. His white, icy fingers were even colder than her own. She felt a jolt go through her, and realized that despite her friendship with Sookie, she felt profoundly sorry for Bill. "I really do not wish to speak about the issues I am having with Sookie. I just need to know if you and Eric would be willing to extend me your hospitality. I would understand if you are disinclined to do so because of your friendship with my wife."

"You are our friend as well," Peggy insisted. "And of course you can stay with us."

"Assuming it is all right with Eric," Bill added politely.

Peggy nodded, though she felt a flare of irritation. It irked her that Bill couldn't accept her word without Eric's approval… though Bill was probably right. No matter what Peggy said, if Eric wanted something different, that was what would come to pass. She glanced over at Eric again, debating whether to interrupt his seduction of the human girl, but Eric's throne was empty and they were both gone.

"We have room," Peggy said.

"I understand that Simone is still with you," said Bill. Simone Boudreaux was the vampire brother of Peggy and Sookie's friend Anne Marie, Sam Merlotte's wife. Like Peggy, Christopher Santiago had made Simone a vampire. Like Anne Marie, Simone had had an affair with Christopher. Both romances had ended badly. Simone had been captured by drainers and nearly died the final death, and had been making his recovery at Peggy and Eric's home in Bon Temps, Louisiana.

Christopher had been heart-broken when Simone ended their affair, Peggy thought. She hadn't spoken to him since Simone had come to Bon Temps nearly a year ago. She had called a few times, but Christopher didn't return her messages. Finally she had left him to himself. Eric didn't care much for Christopher, and Simone refused to discuss him. He seemed to blame Christopher for his torment at the hands of the drainers, whom Eric and Christopher had helped dispose of.

"Yes," said Peggy. "He is nearly fully recovered."

"Will he be leaving soon, then?"

"I don't know. He isn't quite sure where he means to go next."

"Maybe he will make a home in Shreveport," Bill suggested. "After all, he has family here."

Bill looked pointedly over at the bar, where Chow, Fangtasia's current bartender, stood talking to a young female vampire. Pearletta Boudreaux was Simone and Anne Marie's cousin, and had been transformed into a vampire to save her life when she had accidentally almost been killed by Anne Marie's brothers. Pearletta, like the other members of the Boudreaux family, had been a shape shifter. She and Simone had both lost that ability when they were changed. Unlike Simone, Pearletta regretted that loss sorely.

"I wish he would go back to New Orleans," Peggy said flatly.

"Do you?"

"Christopher needs him."

"Ah," said Bill.

Peggy didn't know how to decipher that comment, so she stopped talking and instead wondered where Eric had taken his meal. She sipped her True Blood and looked around the room, debating whether there was any human worth her time, but the fang-banger crowd didn't excite her much. She almost never hunted at Fangtasia, but Eric used the club like a lazy spider, waiting for his prey to come to him.

Peggy suddenly missed the days when they had only shared blood with each other, first when she had been human, then later using True Blood for sustenance. The bottle clutched in her hand shattered and she looked at it in surprise. So did Bill. The glass cut her fingers and Bill grabbed her hand, wiping at it with a napkin.

A moment later, the cuts faded, healed. Bill held her hand gently, almost tenderly, and Peggy fought to remember the last time Eric had made a tender gesture to her. Every moment they shared lately was lustful, sexual, she realized. Even though there was nothing in what Bill was doing besides compassion, Peggy suddenly hurt. She snatched her hand back and ignored Bill's look of confusion.

"Is everything all right, Margaret?" Bill finally asked.

Peggy wasn't sure, but she nodded. "Fine."

"Are you and Eric having a problem?"

"Listen, Bill, just because you and Sookie are on the rocks, it doesn't mean that everyone else is!" Peggy snapped. Immediately she was sorry. Bill glared at her.

"I was merely trying to be a friend to you," he said coldly.

Peggy shut her mouth and nodded. She waved the waitress over to clean up the mess, but it took several excruciating minutes, during which Peggy schooled her expression to blank and tried to figure out what exactly was wrong. Eric had not been unkind to her, or even neglectful of her lately. It was just that his lust generally outweighed everything else.

Typical of a male, Peggy supposed.

Until tonight, it hadn't really bothered her, so why now? Why, when she was sitting so close to Bill Compton. Peggy looked at him again as the waitress left with the broken glass and tried to fathom his dark eyes.

"You are always so serious, Bill."

"I suppose I am," Bill replied stiffly.

"I am not sure I have ever seen you smile."

"Certainly you have," Bill said, his voice gentling.

"You are nothing like Eric."

"I should hope not." Now his tone held a hint of humor, and Peggy suspected the smile she had never seen was being repressed.

Before she could press him further, there was a huge boom and a flash of light as a bomb exploded out of the disco ball hung over the dance floor at Fangtasia. Bill and Peggy were thrown backwards across the room and dust filled the air. Bits of glass sliced her face, and all the air she no longer needed to breathe was knocked out of her as Bill landed on top of her.

"Eric!" Peggy cried out. Where was her lover?

There came no reply.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ever'ting ready for de health inspector," Anne Marie said, wiping her freshly washed hands on the front of her Merlotte's apron.

It was eight a.m. on Saturday morning, and Sam stood with his wife in the kitchen of Merlotte's Bar and Grill. His strawberry blond hair stuck up at odd angles, he knew, but he just couldn't get it to behave today. He was dressed in jeans and a freshly washed blue and yellow plaid shirt and was wearing a brand new pair of alligator boots that had been a Christmas present from one of his brothers-in-law. Not the one who was a vampire. Sam was trying to look his best because he knew the health inspector could be a real hardass when he wanted.

Anne Marie beamed at her husband and Sam felt a little jolt of pleasure race through his blood. Two and a half years of marriage and this Cajun woman still made him wild, he thought, beaming back at her.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Sam said, looking around the sparkling clean kitchen of his restaurant. "Andy's been awful cranky lately. I'd hate to think he's looking for reasons to slap me with a fine."

Anne Marie laughed. "Dis place so clean, you could eat off de floor," she promised. "Me and dem lazy busboys work our tails off all last night. Dey almos' earn their pay dis week."

Sam chuckled and drew Anne Marie close for a kiss. She smelled delicious, a combination of flowers and cooking spices. Her red hair curled delicately around her face, the bridge of her nose gently splashed with adorable freckles. She was gorgeous and buxom and fit up against Sam just perfectly. Despite the fact that she had worked almost the entire night, she didn't look tired. She had gone home only briefly to shower and change into a pink sundress that made her glow like a rose in the morning light.

A cleared throat told him they were no longer alone, and Sam turned to see Andy Bellefleur standing in the doorway of the kitchen. He glared at the two of them, frowning as officially as he could. Sam sighed inwardly, but he put on a good face and tried to make the best of it.

"I am here in my official capacity as Bon Temps' Health Inspector to inspect Merlotte's Bar and Grill, owned by Sam Merlotte," Andy began pompously.

"Well, that's me," said Sam.

"I know that's you," Andy snapped.

"Sorry." Sam held up his hands. They were off to a great start. "Uh, well, feel free to look around, Andy—"

"Inspector Bellefleur."

Sam and Anne Marie both stared at Andy for a moment and Sam could tell Anne Marie was trying to suppress a giggle. He elbowed her lightly. The bar was doing great and making plenty of money, but Sam would be damned if he got fined just for pissing Andy off.

"Okay, uh, Inspector Bellefleur," Sam said as respectfully as he could manage. Based on Andy's sour expression, it wasn't quite respectful enough. "I am sure that you'll find everything in order."

"We'll start with the kitchen," Andy said, ignoring Sam and brandishing a clipboard with a thick stack of documents on it. Sam tried to look at the papers and Andy shuffled it out of his view. "Then we will proceed to the bar, the dining area, the restrooms, storage areas, and your office."

"My office? Why would you have to--"

"You hiding something in your office, Sam?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then you won't mind my looking there."

"You here as de health inspector or as a cop, Andy?" Anne Marie demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

Andy fixed his gaze on her over the top of the clipboard. "I told you, Mrs. Merlotte, that it is Inspector Bellefleur. If I was here as a cop, I'd have introduced myself as Detective Bellefleur."

"Why you got to introduce yo'self at all, you? We know you. You eat my food here ever day!" Anne Marie said with exasperation. Sam put his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently, hoping she would calm down.

"I expect it's because Andy's here in an official capacity," Sam told her. "So let's just step aside and let Inspector Bellefleur do his job as quickly as possible so we can start getting ready for the lunch crowd."

Anne Marie let her arms slide down and nodded stiffly, letting Sam draw her out of Andy's way. Andy clicked his ballpoint pen on with a ceremonial flourish and scribbled something on his paper, then began to examine the kitchen. He ran a finger over the shiny clean prep table, consulted the clipboard and scribbled. He squatted down to look at the floor, consulted the clipboard, and scribbled.

"No apparent rats or rat droppings," Andy intoned, scribbling on the clipboard.

"Of course there's no rats in our kitchen!" Sam protested.

"Let me do my job, Sam."

"So you a cop, an you de health inspector, too," Anne Marie said as she watched. Sam kept his hands on her shoulders.

"Obviously," Andy said. He got to his feet and stalked over to the sink, turning the faucets on and off seemingly at random between scribbling.

"An if I recall correctly you also de animal control officer."

Andy turned and looked at her. "Yes, Anne Marie, I am."

"You call me Mrs. Merlotte. I am here in my official capacity," said Anne Marie, her green eyes twinkling mischievously.

Andy open his mouth to reply, but Sam quickly cut him off, trying desperately to avoid the situation that was building. "So how is your sister, Andy?"

"Portia is fine," Andy snapped and turned back to the sink.

Anne Marie was not as easily dissuaded. "How come you got so many jobs?"

"Bon Temps is a small town," said Andy, finally leaving the sink and turning to the grill. He bent over to look at it, his crimson necktie swinging officiously. Sam noticed it has a tiny flower print on it, which seemed odd for such an irritable man. He squinted to look at it while Andy examined the grill.

"You, Sheriff Bud, and de Mayor almos' de whole government of Bon Temps," Anne Marie commented, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yes," said Andy without looking at her. "And do you know how we fund that government?"

"How?"

He turned around and smiled nastily. "Fines."

"All right, all right," said Sam sliding his hands down Anne Marie's arms and effectively pinning her down. "I really don't think you're going to find anything to fine us for, but let's just get on with the inspection. Anne Marie, maybe we should wait outside."

"I am not waitin' outside, Sam Merlotte!"

"One of you has to stay with me," Andy said grudgingly. "I would prefer it was Sam."

"Then de both us stay."

"Honey, are you sure you don't want to—" Sam began nervously, but the ferocious look on Anne Marie's face cut him off.

Sam sighed inwardly. This was a no win situation. He wondered how much of a fine they were going to be slapped with and if he'd be able to contest it with Bud Dearborn or somebody a little more reasonable than Andy Bellefleur. Sam wondered what had put Andy in such a bad mood to begin with. It was hard for him to fault with Anne Marie, even though she was egging him on. Sam's wife didn't suffer fools well.

Andy twiddled the knobs on the grill and a jet of flame shot up, nearly singeing his eyebrows. This seemed to cheer up Anne Marie quite a bit. Andy hastily twisted the knob back off.

"This is a safety concern," he growled at Sam.

"I assure you that all of our employees are properly trained in using the grill," Sam said, trying to look sympathetic. Andy moved on and examined the stove burners without touching them, then swept his gaze around the entire room.

"We're almost done here," Andy said at last.

Sam let go of the breath he was holding. "Great." He let go of Anne Marie at last and stepped up next to her.

"I just have to check the cupboards."

"Great," Sam repeated less enthusiastically.

Andy turned and began opening the various cupboards seemingly at random, peering in at the contents, and scribbling away on his clipboard. Anne Marie remained mercifully silent, though Sam could feel the tension in her body. He wracked his brain to think of something else to say that might lighten the situation, but came up blank.

"Last one," said Andy, finally starting to sound bored. Good, maybe he would take less time in the other areas of the bar.

As Sam watched, Andy Bellefleur yanked open the last cupboard. A large glass jar that had been balanced precariously inside slipped out. It bounced off of Andy's chest and towards the floor even as Sam leapt forward to try to catch it. He missed by inches, and the jar smashed onto the floor, bits of glass flying everywhere.

With horror Sam realized that the jar had been filled with live cockroaches.

Sam heard a shriek. At first he thought it was Anne Marie, but a moment later realized that Andy had made the high pitched sound. His clipboard slammed to the floor, papers detaching themselves and flying into the chaos.

Roaches scattered everywhere through the kitchen and Sam leapt backwards almost onto the stove. Anne Marie gasped and stood as if frozen as the insects invaded the kitchen. In moments they were headed for the dark havens under the stove, inside the cupboards and into every corner.

"Where—where the hell did that come from?" Sam stammered, utterly bewildered.

"Sam," Andy intoned, sounding shaken and breathless, "I am going to have to shut you down."


	3. Chapter 3

Bill helped Peggy to her feet and the two of them looked around to survey the damage from the explosion. Bill's arm came around her waist, as if he feared that Peggy would be unable to stand on her own and his other hand rested on her shoulder. Shaken, Peggy allowed herself the comfort that this gesture offered.

"Eric," she said again, less hysterically, "Where is Eric?"

The bar was filled with clouds of dust, and Peggy could hear people coughing and shrieking. She was vaguely aware that both she and Bill were covered in the dust as well. They had been thrown clear out of the booth they had been sitting in and were now vaguely in the back of the room. Eric's throne had blown up, Peggy saw, along with the disco ball. The large mirror behind the bar had shattered, along with most of the liquor bottles behind it.

Customers were fleeing the bar at an alarming rate, and somewhere in the distance, Peggy heard sirens. She smelled blood, and not all of it was human blood. She saw several injured humans and became aware that most of the vampires who had been present were fleeing the scene. In fact, Peggy would have bet money that when the dust settled, only she, Pam, Chow, Pearletta, and Bill would be left.

And Eric. Where the hell was he?

"Margaret."

Eric appeared in front of her, coolly taking in her disheveled appearance and Bill's arms around her. Peggy was filled with relief to see him apparently all right and flung herself at him. Eric caught her easily and she felt a one second pulse of hesitation before he pulled her up against his tall body. Peggy brushed that hesitation aside. Right now she didn't care. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him, tasting the faint flavor of blood on his tongue.

"Where were you? I was worried!"

"I was in my office," Eric said flatly. Peggy didn't have to ask what he'd been doing. The taste on his lips wasn't True Blood. He let go of her slowly and turned around to survey the damage. "My chair," he said plaintively. "Someone blew up my chair."

"You ought to be glad you were not sitting on it at the time," said Bill as Pam joined them silently. Her black leather "work" dress and blonde hair were also covered in dust and she looked distinctly irritated.

"Chow's dead," she said abruptly. "Again."

"Oh, oh no!" Peggy gasped and Eric cursed softly in Swedish.

"Are you sure?" Bill asked, his expression grave.

"A chunk of glass from the mirror sliced his head clean off," Pam drawled, "So yes, Bill, I am pretty sure."

"Anyone else?" Eric asked softly.

Pam shook her head. "Chow is the only casualty."

"This is going to be bad for business," Eric grumbled, and then the police arrived.

For the next several hours, the four of them and Pearletta had to give statements and answer questions. Luckily the Shreveport police now had a vampire officer, and though the rest of his department wasn't aware of it, he had to report to Eric, as Eric was the Sheriff of vampire Area Five. Peggy knew that this way Eric could ensure that only what he wanted known about the situation would go out to the press, and that the investigation would be conducted to his satisfaction.

The damage to Fangtasia itself wasn't as bad as it seemed at first. In fact, Peggy knew that the daytime maintenance crew had seen worse. There were shards of glass, wood, and plastic everywhere, as well as the plaster dust, but that could be cleaned up within a few hours. Eric's throne would have to be replaced, as would the mirror behind the bar, and the disco ball. Peggy wondered vaguely if Eric would get another disco ball. He hadn't much liked the first one, and she wasn't sure who had ordered it in the first place.

Three hours before dawn, and the police finally left. Pearletta was a mess. Bloody tears streaked her face and she was covered in what Peggy suspected was mostly Chow's blood. Chow's body had dissolved already into a sad sludge that Pam set Ginger, the one human waitress who had remained on premises during all this, to cleaning up. Ginger was crying and carrying on as she cleaned, but they all ignored her. Crying and carrying on was the norm for Ginger.

"She needs a vacation," Pam drawled.

"She needs a permanent vacation," said Eric, "Unfortunately, she's the most reliable human we have left. I will put an ad in the paper tomorrow. We're going to need more help."

"What about Margaret?" said Pam.

Peggy glared at her. "What about you?"

"I do not waitress," Pam said. "You have experience."

"I was the worst waitress Merlotte's ever had," Peggy admitted. "I had to pay Sam more in broken dishes than he paid me."

"No, I do not want Margaret waitressing here. Or you either, Pam," said Eric, ending the discussion, but then he looked at Pearletta. "What about you?"

Pearletta shrugged. "Ain't never been a waitress, cher. I'm a hostess, me."

Eric looked at Bill. "What about Sookie? Can we borrow her?"

"I sincerely doubt that," Bill said, looking extremely pained.

"What are you doing here anyway, Bill?"

Bill looked even more pained. "I have a favor to ask of you, Eric."

"I am not feeling inclined to do any favors tonight," Eric said shortly, waving his hand. "I have enough to deal with at the moment."

"He just wants to stay with us for a few days," Peggy snapped, tired of Eric's imperious attitude.

Eric arched both of his eyebrows. She knew right away that he didn't care for the tone she had taken with him, and that he was not sure why she was angry with him. She wasn't sure if she knew why, herself. After all, he had taken her side and not forced her to waitress at Fangtasia.

"And why is that, Bill?" he asked, but Peggy knew they would discuss this later.

"It is personal," Bill said.

Peggy looked at him, trying to determine whether he was upset that she had blurted out his request in front of Pam and Pearletta, but he only seemed sad. And dusty. His black hair looked like a powdered wig. She looked back over at Eric. He was curious about Bill's request, but also scheming how he could turn it to his advantage. Eric was an enigma tonight, she thought. He was filled with so many different emotions that she almost couldn't read him, despite their blood bond. She knew then that this was what was bothering her. They needed to talk, in private. He needed to share whatever he was up to with her.

"Will Sookie be staying with us, too?" Eric asked Bill pointedly.

"No," Bill replied flatly.

Eric grinned. "I think we can find a coffin for you," he said, but no one there, least of all Bill, could mistake the fact that there would be a price for it.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather spend the day in the ground?" Peggy asked gently.

"Don't you and Sookie own two houses?" Pam asked.

"I put Sookie's house on the market a few days ago," said Bill shortly. "We had an offer."

Eric crowed with laughter. "And now Sookie is angry with you, and you wish to stay at my house."

"Eric." Bill spit the name out like he was chewing nails.

"You didn't tell her first?" asked Peggy, slightly incredulous.

"Do none of you understand what 'it is personal' means?" Bill asked.

"They sure don't," said Pearletta. "Eric, I'm goin' home, me. Miss Ginger, you come with me. You done enough tonight."

"Don't kill her," Pam drawled as Pearletta steered the human out. "We need her services tomorrow night."

"Do you intend to open tomorrow night?" Bill asked Eric.

Eric sighed. "We will stay closed tomorrow night, only because it is too close to dawn now to find a new bartender. Unless…" He looked at Bill.

Bill looked over at the bar, then back at Eric. "I would be happy to make the effort," he said finally.

"No," said Eric. "As charming as you are, Bill, I am not certain you are exactly the type to please our customers." Bill looked somewhere between relieved and offended, but simply nodded in reply. Peggy rolled her eyes – from Eric's tone she knew he didn't think Bill was the least bit charming. Well he was wrong, she thought, and then she was surprised at herself. "We will find someone tomorrow night, then re-open on Sunday," Eric continued thoughtfully.

"Fine," said Pam, and she left without bidding any of them a further good-night.

"Let's go home," Peggy said to Eric. "Bill—"

"I have my car here," said Bill. "I will meet you at your house shortly."

Eric nodded and Bill headed out. "I just have to get something out of my office first," he said, and began to stride back that way. Peggy followed him, glad that the stressful night was finally drawing to a close and hoping that she and Eric would have time to make love before the sun rose. She needed the release of tension… and she needed to feel close to him.

He opened the door to his office and Peggy saw the dark haired, dark eyed human girl he had been sitting with earlier. She was lounging in Eric's chair, behind Eric's desk, a prominent bite mark on her throat. When she saw Eric, she smiled slowly, languidly.

"Margaret," Eric said, "This is Elise."


	4. Chapter 4

Sam looked around the table at his most reliable employees. Arlene and Anne Marie sat together, extra friendly as they both had young children around the same age. Arlene's daughter Louanne was four and little Belle Merlotte was three. It was hard to believe that Coby and Lisa, Arlene's older children, were nearly teenagers, old enough to look after the babies while Sam held a staff meeting. Of course, they were all ensconced in a booth in one corner of the closed restaurant within easy view of their parents.

Louanne Fowler-Bellefleur was the apple of Terry's eye, though he and Arlene were off and on more often than the weather changed. At the moment they were off, and Terry and Arlene were ignoring each other, Arlene doing a much more thorough job at it than Terry was. Sam sometimes wondered if Arlene would count Anne Marie as such a good friend if she knew that Anne Marie was a shape shifter. Anne Marie's gran-mawmaw often looked after both babies when their mothers were both scheduled at Merlotte's. Come to think of it, Sam mused, Gran-mawmaw Boudreaux was a shape shifting voodoo queen. He wondered what Arlene would think of that.

There wasn't time to debate it now, he thought. He had too much bad news to deliver. Lafayette, Tara, and a couple of bus-boys sat sprawled along the other side of the table, looking bored. Lafayette had helped himself to a bottle of tequila, and Sam's lips twitched. He wondered if Lafayette had figured out yet that Sam was refilling the Patron bottles with a far less expensive brand. If anyone else in Bon Temps had ever ordered Patron, Sam would have felt bad about duping them.

A couple of the part-time waitresses, Holly and Danielle, were present as well, chatting softly together. The only one missing was Sookie, Sam thought with irritation. Well, he couldn't wait for her any longer. He had to start. Everyone already knew about the jar of roaches in the kitchen and that Andy had shut them down for the day. They just didn't know that it was worse than that.

"We're going to be closed for a week," Sam announced. He was immediately met with protests.

"Sam, none of us can afford to go without pay for a week," Arlene grumbled. "I got kids to feed."

"I know, I know," said Sam. "I was hoping some of you could use your vacation time right now—that will be paid, like always."

"Since when do we have vacation time?" asked Lafayette. Sam gave him a look that told him to hush and Lafayette raised up both hands. "Not that I is protestin'."

"It's a new policy," said Sam. He didn't want his employees to go without just because somebody had played a rotten joke.

"Suits me fine," said Tara, nodding.

"I got some other jobs I can pick up," Terry said, drumming his fingers nervously on the table. "I can save my vacation time. For, you know. For later."

"Danielle and I can pick up extra hours at the Cracker Barrel in Monroe," Holly said. "You don't have to worry about us, Sam."

"What I want to know is who in hell put that jar in the cupboard," said Arlene, glaring at Terry as if she suspected he was the one. Sam knew she didn't really think that, and Terry didn't notice, so he didn't call her on it.

"We all wan' know dat, cher," said Anne Marie, patting Arlene's red-nailed hand. "And when we do, dey gone be sorry."

Everyone murmured in agreement. Sam felt a burst of warmth at the loyalty of his staff. This was why he had settled in Bon Temps. This was why he had opened a bar. He was a people person, and these were good, honest, hard-working people.

"The bar is as clean as it's going to get," Sam said, "And there isn't much to do around here or I would keep you on for busy work."

"Long's we getting' paid, we ain't worried about bein' busy!" said Lafayette.

"How much vacation time do I have, exactly?" Arlene asked, looking shrewd and calculating. "I been working here six years and I ain't never took a vacation."

Before Sam had to start making up the newly instituted vacation time policy on the spot, the door to the bar banged open and Sookie Stackhouse Compton hurried in. She looked just as blonde and buxom and fresh and lovely as Sam had ever found her, though his attraction to her had long faded. No one compared to Anne Marie. Sookie didn't have half of the spice and fire that Sam's wife possessed. However, she was a good employee and a good friend. Right now, despite her glowing tan, she looked pale and worried.

"Sorry I'm late, y'all," she said, flinging herself into a chair. In her hand she clasped a copy of the Shreveport Times newspaper.

"Did you know that Sam gives us vacation time, Sookie?" Arlene asked.

"Shit, if she has that, she done used all hers," said Lafayette. He poured more tequila into a coffee cup.

"So did you, for that matter," Tara pointed out to her cousin. She helped herself to the Patron bottle, pouring a little into a water glass, tasting it, and frowning. "Sam, this tastes like—"

"I'm glad you finally made it, Sookie," Sam interrupted hastily. "Now—"

"Did you see the paper?" Sookie demanded.

"I—"

"There was an explosion at Fangtasia last night!"

"Is Peggy all right? My cousin Pearletta?" Anne Marie demanded, sitting up straighter in her chair.

"I don't know," Sookie said with worry. "I just found out a few minutes ago, and they're not exactly answering their phones right now."

It was still several hours before dark, Sam realized. He frowned. He would hate for something to have happened to Peggy or Pearletta. Eric Northman was another story. Sam could tolerate the Viking, but liked him far better the less time they spent together, which lately, thankfully, had been almost none.

"What does the paper say happened, Sookie?" asked Sam gently.

"It's kind of lacking in details, but there was one casualty," Sookie said nervously.

"What sort of casualty?" Sam had a sinking feeling.

"A vampire was killed."

During the exclamation that followed around the table, Lafayette filled his coffee cup the rest of the way up and shoved it over to Sookie. She didn't touch it.

"Maybe one less vampire isn't such a bad thing," said Arlene. Holly and Danielle nodded their agreement, though more timidly.

"Arlene, you forget Sookie married her a vampire?" Anne Marie demanded incredulously. "How you can say such a ting, you?"

"Well, I didn't mean Bill," Arlene insisted as everyone gaped at her. "I mean, you know, one of the bad ones."

"How can you tell the bad ones from the good ones?" asked Lafayette.

"It wasn't Bill, was it, Sookie?" Arlene asked. "I mean, you'd be crying or something if it was."

"I don't know who it was," Sookie snapped. "For all I know, it might have been Bill." The room fell silent. Everyone stared at Sookie. Her cheeks turned pink. "I kicked him out. Bill and I are separated. For all I know, he was at Fangtasia last night. But that doesn't mean I want him dead!"

"You're better off," said Arlene, trying for comforting but hitting tactless.

"What he done?" Anne Marie asked, more to the point.

"You need us to sharpen some stakes?" Tara asked, folding her arms.

"No…no," Sookie said, looking around the table. "I didn't mean for this to be public knowledge, but seeing as Bill might be dead—" And Sookie burst into tears.

"Sookie, you're right," said Sam gently as Anne Marie put her arms around the weeping blonde. "This shouldn't be public knowledge. So, I'm ending this meeting right now. Everyone, you're free to go. I've made a list of places who might be able to give you a few hours of work this week. Otherwise, I'll help you out with some vacation pay. You can all come in Saturday for a few hours of light cleaning and we will re-open next Sunday, assuming no more jars of bugs turn up."

Sam stood up and tried to shoo them all out of the bar. Lafayette and the busboys scrambled out as fast as they could, and Holly and Danielle extracted themselves quietly. Arlene gave Sookie a quick hug, but then she and Terry set to arguing about who was taking Louanne with them, and soon they and the kids were all outside. Sam went and picked up little Belle and carried her back to the table. Anne Marie and Tara were still sitting with Sookie, trying to calm her.

"He sold my grandmother's house without even asking me," Sookie said, wiping her face on a napkin.

"Sookie, you and Bill been talking about selling that house for six months," Tara pointed out.

"And you been livin' wid Bill since you got married," Anne Marie added.

"You kicked Bill out of his own house?" Sam asked. All three women ignored him, and Sam decided this was probably best.

"I love Bill's house," Sookie said. "But my family has lived in my house for a hundred and sixty years. I know I don't need two houses, but…" She sighed, fighting back the tears.

"Well, if you kicked Bill out, now you really need your house back," Tara pointed out.

"If she divorce him, she get his," said Anne Marie.

"You gonna divorce Bill?" asked Tara.

"No! I don't know!" said Sookie. "But I don't want him to be dead! Or Peggy, or Pearletta, or Pam, or even Eric!"

"Technically, dey all dead," said Anne Marie. "But you right. Sookie, all we can do is wait for dark. We don' know nothin' til then."

It was going to be a long day, Sam thought. And it was.


	5. Chapter 5

Bill was in the living room, sitting on Eric's beloved caramel suede couch, when Peggy came downstairs. He was dressed in a soft-looking grey shirt, long-sleeve and collarless, with a straight row of six buttons left open at the throat. Peggy could see a curl of dark chest hair in the opening. His pants, neatly pressed, were a darker shade of charcoal, and Peggy figured he must have brought a suitcase of some sort with him. At least Sookie had allowed him that before she tossed him out.

Bill looked good, she thought, and the thought surprised her. He was the polar opposite of Eric.

Peggy had woken up alone, much to her irritation. It drove her nuts sometimes that Eric was able to rise so much earlier than she was, before the sun had even set. She wondered how many centuries it would be until she could keep up with him in that regard. Maybe she would never be able to.

She had reached languidly out to Eric with her mind, hoping he might come back to bed, but she couldn't seem to reach him. His presence was just a quiet hum in her blood. He wasn't far away, but he was preoccupied by whatever he was doing. He didn't come to her while she showered, either, and feeling deflated, she didn't go out of her way to put on a particularly pretty outfit.

Fangtasia was closed tonight, so she took advantage of the opportunity to wear jeans and a black beaded tank top. She brushed out her blonde hair, letting it hang long and loose down her back and around her shoulders. Peggy had to admit to herself that she loved what being a vampire had done to her hair. It was always shiny, wavy, and spectacular, and hung nearly to her waist.

Bill's eyes widened slightly and she became aware that he was regarding her appreciatively. It was both flattering and totally inappropriate. She forced herself to ignore the good feeling it gave her.

"Have you seen Eric?" she asked softly.

"He left a few minutes ago. He asked me to drive you to Fangtasia," Bill replied. "He had some business to attend to that he wanted to get started on right away. He will meet us there."

Peggy frowned. "All right," she said. "I know he wants to get busy trying to find new waitresses and a new bartender, but he could have waited half an hour. I'm going to the kitchen…would you like a Blood?"

"Thank you," Bill accepted, rising from the sofa and following her. He took a seat at the kitchen table and waited patiently while she got the drinks.

She took two bottles out of the fridge and put them in the microwave. For some reason, she wasn't in an all-fired hurry to follow Eric to Fangtasia. As she stabbed at the buttons on the microwave, she became aware of just how angry she was. The timer on the microwave beeped and she handed Bill his bottle, then sat down across from him.

"Does Eric have any thoughts as to who might have planted that bomb?" Bill asked after they sipped their drinks for a few long, silent moments.

"We haven't talked about it much," Peggy said.

"I thought perhaps you might have discussed it on the way back from Shreveport last night."

On the drive back, she and Eric had said very little to each other. Peggy had remained silent, trying to sort out her feelings about the girl he had left waiting in his office while they dealt with the police. Biting wasn't allowed in Fangtasia. Public biting was against the law. Eric, however, was a law unto himself. It was not unusual for him to take his prey back into the office for a quick meal, but he had never left one of them there unattended. Of course, a bomb had never exploded in the club before, either.

There had been something odd about Elise, Peggy thought. She had an unusual smell, an enticing aroma, and Peggy was sure that it was what had made Eric want to taste her. She had almost wanted the girl herself, except for the smug look on the human's face. Elise wanted Eric. This also was nothing unusual, but something about her youthful determination set Peggy on edge. Eric had shooed Elise out the back door without showing her any more attention than a human would to a plate that they were stacking in the dishwasher, but Peggy still wondered if Eric would have slept with the girl if the disco ball hadn't exploded.

No, Eric wouldn't do that to her.

Would he?

Sex and biting were very closely entwined. Peggy knew this as well as anyone. Last night when they had gotten home, Eric had lust to spare. After ensuring that Bill was inside tucked into a guest coffin and the house was secure for the day, Eric had tossed Peggy over his shoulder and carried her off to their light-tight bedroom. The king-size four poster bed had barely seemed big enough for their wild passion. The dress she had been wearing had been torn to shreds. Eric had been much rougher than usual, but that was what Peggy had needed.

Again, they hadn't done much talking.

"I guess we need to think about who might have tried to kill Eric," she said, shaking her head and trying to put those thoughts away. "I can't believe Chow is dead again."

"I imagine Eric has any number of enemies," said Bill. This struck Peggy as funny, but she suppressed the slightly hysterical laughter bubbling up inside of her.

"Can we be sure Eric was the target?"

"I cannot imagine that anyone would want to kill you, Margaret," Bill said, his voice a soft growl, and Peggy shivered. Had she ever noticed how lovely Bill's voice was before? Sookie was a lucky woman. Peggy didn't doubt she would make up with Bill as soon as her temper cooled down.

"Chow—" she began, but he interrupted.

"That was bad luck. It could have been any one of us."

"I suppose you're right. In any case, I'm sure Eric won't rest until we come to the bottom of this."

They finished their drinks and headed out to Bill's car for the ride to Shreveport. Peggy wished that she could fly like Eric. The corvette was still in the driveway so she assumed he had simply sailed through the sky, already bright with stars. She didn't have any such talent herself. She wondered if she could learn it, or might develop it after a while. Bill opened the door of his Chrysler for her and Peggy appreciated the gesture.

"Can you fly like Eric, Bill?"

"No," Bill replied grimly, starting the car. "It is not a talent that many vampires possess."

Peggy's cell phone rang, interrupting the conversation. She fumbled for it in her purse and saw that it was Sookie calling, and that there also appeared to be a number of messages.

"Hello?"

"Peggy!" Sookie sounded nearly hysterical. "The paper said there was a bomb at Fangtasia last night. I haven't been able to get you or Bill or Eric on the phone! Anne Marie and Sam and I have been worried sick!"

"Yes, there was a bomb," Peggy said.

"And a vampire died!"

"Yes, a vampire died. It was Chow. Bill's fine, and Eric's fine. Pam, Pearletta… we're all fine."

"Thank goodness," Sookie gasped, then she paused. "I didn't know Chow very well."

"Do you want to speak to Bill?"

"Bill's right there?"

"I'm in his car. He's taking me to Fangtasia."

"Why is he… oh, never mind. I don't care. I'm still furious with him," Sookie said, her anger evident in her tone. "I just don't want him to be dead."

"I really think you should speak to him," Peggy urged gently.

"If he wanted to talk to me, he would have answered his phone!"

"Tell her that my phone is at home. I forgot to take it with me when she unceremoniously booted me out," Bill growled.

"He says that—"

"I heard him!"

"Well, that's great, Sookie," Peggy said with exasperation. She didn't want to be in the middle of this at all. "You know, you can't solve your problems without speaking to each other."

"I know that," Sookie said, taking a deep breath. "I just need some more time."

"Well, when you sort yourself out, he's staying at my house!" Peggy snapped the phone shut, hanging up on her friend abruptly. She looked at Bill, but he kept his eyes silently on the road, so Peggy checked her messages and returned her calls instead.

It took her the rest of the drive to Shreveport to tell Sam and Anne Marie what had happened the night before and to hear about their surprise during the health inspection. The Merlottes had no more idea who had planted the jar of insects in their kitchen than Peggy did who had set the bomb at Fangtasia. When she finally hung up with them, she related the story to Bill.

"A jar of roaches?" Bill replied, faintly incredulous. He had parked in back of Fangtasia and they went in through the employees entrance since the bar was closed. Peggy could hear Pam and Pearletta's voices coming from inside the main part of the club, but a faint gasp made her stop in front of the closed door to Eric's office. Bill was close behind her and barely managed to stop without bumping into her. The gasp was followed by a feminine moan of pleasure. Peggy yanked the office door open so quickly that one of the hinges creaked and nearly snapped.

Elise was sitting on Eric's lap, and the Viking vampire had his fangs sunk deep into her throat.


	6. Chapter 6

Sam and Anne Marie were sitting on the steps of their trailer sharing a couple of Abita beers in the too-quiet moonlight. Only the bugs humming in the bushes and a bird calling in the woods beyond broke the country silence. Belle was sleeping inside, the baby monitor was balanced on the porch railing in case their little daughter should need anything. Like the moonlight, it was also silent…for now.

The night was still humid and warm, and Anne Marie wore bright green short shorts and a white, ruffled top that always drove Sam nuts because it made her look even more lusciously buxom than she already was, which was plenty. Her feet were bare and her red hair was a little messy, but Sam found that sexy as hell. He didn't have any shoes on either and was dressed down in jeans and a purple t-shirt.

"This is the first time I can ever remember seeing the parking lot empty," Sam sighed, taking a swallow of his beer. Anne Marie put her hand on his back and rubbed gently.

"It ain't right," she said, her tone much fiercer than the sweet way her fingers treated Sam. "Andy knows damn well someone play a prank on us!"

"I can try to talk to Sheriff Dearborn about it," Sam said. "At least we didn't have a bomb, like at Fangtasia."

"You more person'ble than dem vampires," Anne Marie said. "Nobody even want to blow you up. An yes, we lucky in dat regard. Still, gone cost a fortune be closed a whole week."

"We can afford it."

"Gone lose customers…"

Sam looked at Anne Marie and arched a sandy eyebrow. "You think so? I mean, there aren't that many other bars in Bon Temps."

"People be drinkin' at home," Anne Marie said stubbornly.

"We got the most authentic Cajun food in Northern Louisiana," Sam said, smiling at her. "They can't get that at home. They'd have to drive clear up to Shreveport for anything half as good."

Anne Marie let go of her temper and smiled. "You full of flattery, Sam Merlotte. Yes, you is."

"I'm full of honesty," said Sam, and he bent to kiss her.

The kiss was sweet and bubbly and delicious, and Sam wondered if the baby would stay asleep long enough for him to make love to his wife. He was just reaching for the top button on her white, ruffled blouse when Anne Marie's cell phone, perched on the railing next to the baby monitor, rang.

"Dat better be Miss Pearletta," Anne Marie said, jumping up and slipping out of Sam's grasp. They had already spoken to Peggy and knew the details of what had happened at Fangtasia last night, so Anne Marie's worry about her cousin had been eased, but Sam knew Anne Marie wouldn't be fully satisfied until she spoke to Pearletta herself.

Sam sort of tuned out as his wife went into a full-blown Cajun patois on the phone. The tangy sound of her voice was delicious and soothing and he stared off into the woods, wishing he could go for a run. Well, he'd have plenty of time for running this week, he guessed. Sam almost found himself falling asleep when a bony white figure appeared in the parking lot almost out of thin air, startling him into full awareness.

"I got to go, Pearletta. Simone here… I tell Sam what you said, but he ain't gonna like it, him. Tell Eric we call him later."

Anne Marie hung up the cell phone as her vampire brother walked slowly across the parking lot towards them. Simone was still painfully thin and whiter than paper, but that aside he seemed to have recovered from his attack by vampire drainers, at least physically. To Sam the handsome young man looked desperately sad, his green eyes filled with a terrible ache.

Simone was dressed in black jeans and cowboy boots, a lavender button-down shirt and a leather jacket. His auburn hair curled around his face the same way Anne Marie's did, but where her cheeks were pleasantly soft and rounded, his cheekbones stuck out in a sharp, angular way. Anne Marie skipped forward to hug him, despite the fact that most vampires eschewed such physical contact. Sam knew that Simone and Anne Marie were family first, vampire and shifter second.

"Simone!" Anne Marie's voice was full of love. "M'so glad you wasn't at Fangtasia last night."

Simone let go of her slowly, then nodded a greeting to Sam before looking back at his sister. "Me, too," he said. His voice held only a trace of Cajun twang and he spoke with almost no accent at all. "I don't go there much, though. I would have called you, even though it was late, but I didn't hear about the bomb until tonight. I haven't even seen Margaret and Eric since then."

"You still staying with them?" Sam asked.

Simone nodded. "For now, though I sleep out in the cemetery a lot. In the dirt."

"Dat so creepy," Anne Marie said, folding her arms over her chest. "Santiago teach you that?"

"Please," said Simone. "Do you think Christopher would spoil his red satin pajamas by sleeping in the ground?" His voice held a hint of bitterness as he spoke of his former lover. He looked down for a moment, then back at his sister. "I'm thinking of moving on," he said.

Anne Marie looked disappointed, but she nodded. "I hate to see you go, but I know you long for dem bright city lights," she said fondly.

"You going back to New Orleans?" Sam asked.

Simone shook his head. "I was think of Las Vegas."

"Lots of nightlife." Sam tried to be encouraging. Simone smiled.

"You gone be a showgirl?" Anne Marie teased. Simone had been the star of a drag show in New Orleans for a while.

"Just call me Lola," Simone said, fluttering his eyelashes.

"You don't wanna bartend at Fangtasia?" Anne Marie wheedled.

Simone laughed. "Me? Oh, no. In fact, I'm leaving tonight before Eric thinks of asking me. Shame about Chow, though. I wonder who they'll get to replace him."

Sam suddenly became aware that his wife was staring at him. He turned his head slowly to face Anne Marie. "What?"

"Pearletta asked me a favor."

"A favor?"

"When I was on de phone wid her."

"I gathered that," Sam said slowly. "What sort of a favor?"

"Well, Merlotte's is going to be closed dis week…"

"I'm not sure I like where this is going."

"Fangtasia need a bartender."

Both of Sam's eyebrows shot up as he stared at Anne Marie. "And…?"

"Sam."

Simone started giggling, then laughing loudly. "Oh, little sister. You are the last female on earth I ever expected to ask her husband to go work in a vampire bar."

"It jest a few days, until dey fine a new one," said Anne Marie. "Plus dey need some waitress, too, and I figure mebbe we could make us back some the money we losin' by bein' closed dis week."

"Patrons in vampire bars tip really well," Simone said knowledgably.

"Maybe Lafayette—" Sam hedged.

"He never agree to work for Eric, him," Anne Marie said.

"Tara?"

"With that temper?" asked Simone. "Tara Thornton is a fine lady, but sending her to Fangtasia would be like dumping her into a cauldron full of hot water."

Unfortunately, Sam had to agree. "And has Eric agreed to me working for him?"

"Actually, he ask for Sookie."

"Sookie's not a bartender."

"He want her to waitress. I work me an' you into the deal to protect her."

"That makes sense," Simone said thoughtfully. "After all, perhaps she can look into the minds of the patrons and discover who planted the bomb. Since they didn't succeed at killing Eric, they may very well make another attempt."

"Has anyone talked to Sookie about this?" Sam asked.

"I'm gone go over and talk her into it," said Anne Marie. She bent and kissed Sam on the forehead. "You stay here and look after de baby."

"Uh, okay."

"I'll come with you," said Simone to his sister. She nodded, and Sam knew they wanted to spend a little time together before Simone left Bon Temps. The vampire looked at Sam thoughtfully. "You're a good man, Sam Merlotte," Simone said. "I'm pleased to have you for my brother."

"Back at you," Sam told Simone. Simone smiled faintly. Anne Marie grabbed her flip-flops from the porch and slipped them on. Sam noticed that her toenails were painted pink and he wished again that he could make love to her.

"When I come home," she promised, her voice husky, as if she had read his lustful thoughts. Sam grinned. "But well'm gone, see if you could mebbe run de dishwasher."

"Yes, ma'am."

"De livin' room needs picking up."

"I can handle that. You want me to do the laundry, too?"

Anne Marie grinned back at him. "Ain't such a bad idea." She turned and began to walk towards her car with her brother in tow. "Oh, an' Sam?" she called back over her shoulder.

"Yes, my love?"

"Call Eric Northman."


	7. Chapter 7

Eric lifted his head from Elise's throat and smiled, his mouth red and bloody. Only another vampire wouldn't have found the sight ghastly. Peggy wanted simultaneously to both lick the blood from his lips and to rip off the head of the bitch he was feeding from. Instead, she fought herself for control and forced a calm smile.

"I see you got started on business early," she said sweetly. From behind her, she heard Bill drag in a ragged (and unnecessary) breath.

Eric ignored her sarcasm. Mostly. "I will be with you in a moment," he said sharply.

"Having the same thing for dinner two nights in a row, Eric?" Peggy asked. "I thought you didn't like leftovers."

Bill chuckled, but Eric just glared at her. "Close the door, Margaret."

His voice was so cold and so quiet, and Peggy felt her heart breaking inside. Without another word she closed the door very gently, noting that the hinge was bent and it no longer fit quite right. She spun around and Bill was there, his dark eyes shining with sympathy.

Bill lifted his hands, as if he wanted to draw her into his arms, then let them fall to his sides as if he knew it were inappropriate. There was something in his face that she couldn't quite read. She didn't try. She had enough to deal with without wondering what Bill Compton was thinking.

"Margaret," Bill said in a very low voice, "There is something not quite right with that girl."

Peggy felt tears prick her eyes. She knew they would be bloody so she didn't let them fall. "I hope he kills her," she said, her voice shaking.

"She is nothing compared to you," Bill said urgently, his voice still very, very quiet. "Just another cow."

"How can you call a human a cow when you're married to one?"

"Sookie is different. Some humans are different. That one's just another fangbanger."

"He never drinks from the same one two nights in a row," Peggy said just as softly. "Never."

"The girl probably came here looking for him," Bill soothed. "She was convenient. The club is closed tonight."

"More convenient than a full refrigerator of True Blood?" Now Peggy was bitter.

Bill lifted his hand and touched her cheek. A shiver raced down her spine. Unexpected heat pooled in her groin. Peggy felt the urge to fling Bill against the wall and devour his mouth, but she thought of Sookie, one of her best friends, and held back. Bill's dark eyes, so different from Eric's blue orbs, widened, and Peggy knew he felt it, too. There was an undeniable attraction between them. Slowly Bill drew his hand back, shock stamped over his features.

"No," he said, and then he turned and stalked into the main part of the bar.

Peggy stayed in the hallway for a long moment. Bill? She wanted Bill? Maybe in a hundred years, when Sookie was dead of a ripe old age. Maybe not even then. But certainly not now. Just because Eric had a new human toy was no reason to do something as disastrous as to get involved with her friend's husband. She told herself it was just a dramatic reaction brought on by his kindness when she really needed someone to be kind to her. And yet, she wondered if that were true.

Peggy composed herself and headed into the bar. Bill had joined Pam and Pearletta at a table, and Ginger was serving them bottles of True Blood. When the human waitress saw Peggy, she tottered off on her black high heels to get another bottle. She seated herself at the table and tried not to feel humiliated that Eric was interested in a female besides her. Bill was right, the girl was just a cow.

Peggy looked around and was amazed to see that Fangtasia was sparkling clean, especially the floor behind the bar where Chow had met his unfortunate end. The remains of the disco ball and Eric's chair were gone. Someone had mopped, buffed and polished the floor like nobody's business. Peggy suspected Ginger. The woman was a work-horse, and seemed to be happy with her mediocre paycheck and a little attention from the vampires.

Then again, maybe Pam just kept her glamoured all the time and that was what made her so cheerfully diligent. Ginger always seemed a little bit off her rocker to Peggy, but she was genuinely nice and never put much heart into hitting on Eric. A few of the regular vamps who came to the bar nibbled on Ginger when Eric gave them leave to do so, but Peggy knew he preferred a True Blood to the ditzy waitress.

Someone had set a folding chair up in the spot where Eric's throne used to be, and Peggy put a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter. She couldn't imagine her lover sitting on such a rickety contraption. He would not be as amused as she was, she thought.

"Eric's going to need a new throne," she said.

Pam rolled her eyes. "So he mentioned. The last one was an antique, so he will have to do some shopping around if he wants anything comparable."

"There is a lovely antique mall in Monroe," Bill suggested. "I will suggest it to him."

"Dey open at night?" asked Pearletta.

"They will gladly open after dark for prospective customers," Bill assured her. "I purchased a few things for my own home there."

"The one your human wife kicked you out of?" Pam asked pleasantly. Bill glared at her, but his expression quickly changed from angry to pained.

"I am certain that Sookie and I will work out our differences," he stated. "She just needs a little time to cool off."

"I hope you won't upset her when she comes to work for me," Eric said, appearing in the room quickly enough to startle Ginger, if not the rest of them. Behind him stood Elise, looking pale but triumphant. She smirked at Peggy. Peggy ignored her.

"Sookie is coming to work for you?" Bill asked incredulously.

"Pearletta, I assume you have made the arrangements," Eric said.

"I called Anne Marie. Her an' Sam gone go ask Sookie if she could fill in here for you and help wid your…dilemma."

Pearletta was wise enough not to speak about Sookie's ability in front of Elise, Peggy saw, and counted the Cajun vampire double as one of her friends.

"Sookie will not agree," Bill insisted.

"If she does not, you will go to her and convince her by any means necessary," Eric told Bill. "Get her house back, if that is what she wants. After all, what is a house compared to finding the miscreant who tried to blow me up?"

"We could stand to lose a significant sum of money," said Bill, "Not to mention, it is ungentlemanly to back out of a deal that has already been struck."

"No wonder Sookie kicked you out," Pam drawled.

"I did get us a bartender, me," Pearletta said. "At least for one week. And he come wid a waitress."

Eric arched an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Sam and Anne Marie Merlotte."

Eric arched the other brow and Peggy would have chuckled at his expression if she were not furious at him.

"A shifter?"

"Sam is an excellent bartender," Bill said.

"And a good friend," Peggy added.

Eric looked thoughtful. "I suppose they can be trusted," he said, and Peggy knew that from Eric, that was a lot. "However, I would like Sookie as well. See what you can do."

It was unclear to whom the last remark was addressed, but it really didn't matter. Eric would have what he wanted, one way or another. As if suddenly remembering she was there, he waved a hand towards Elise.

"Elise is a new Fangtasia barmaid as well," Eric said.

Elise made a little curtsy as if she were trying to be cute, but her smile seemed fake and the way she tilted her head was clearly designed to show off the bite mark Eric had left on her neck. None of the vampires smiled back at her. Peggy felt a slow burn crawl through her, but she didn't argue with him. It would be making the girl more significant than she was, and she refused to do that.

"Ginger, you can show her the ropes. And like with all our help, she is only to be bitten at her own request, and never in the main bar when it is open." Eric mostly looked at Pam, who just shrugged.

"Not my taste, Eric," Pam drawled. "And usually not yours. Are you slumming?" Peggy silently reminded herself to get Pam a new pair of pumps, maybe pink with rhinestones on them. Eric ignored the remark.

"Right this way, honey," Ginger said kindly to the younger woman. She led Elise out to the back storage room. Before they made it through the door, the girl turned back.

"Will I see you later, Eric?" she asked flirtatiously.

Peggy cringed. She looked immediately at Eric's face, searching for any sign of what he felt for this girl. She called out to him with their blood bond, unable to suppress her inner torment. Eric caught her eye, and he looked surprised. The expression was just a flicker before he covered it up.

"No, Elise," he said. "Not tonight."

The relief that coursed through Peggy made her almost melt. She realized that her hands, clutched in her lap, were trembling. Her emotions, her overwhelming love for Eric pulsed like a wave inside of her. She tore her eyes from his face and looked down at her lap. She felt more than saw Ginger and Elise leave the room.

"Margaret—" Eric began, but then his cell phone rang.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam squinted in the darkness as his truck zoomed past the Monroe exit. He cursed loudly, and his wife laughed.

"No, no, cher – no worries, it de next one. Jes watch for it. Look, dere a sign." Anne Marie pointed out the window and a peeling and poorly lit billboard for Antique Alley.

"Okay, okay… look for Trenton Street…" he sighed with relief that they were not lost, yet. "I can't believe that we agreed to meet Eric at midnight at some antique store."

"Jes lucky gran-mawmaw stop by an stay wid Belle," said Anne Marie.

Sam nodded. It was not unusual for old Mrs. Boudreaux to show up conveniently when Sam and Anne Marie needed her. He was completely convinced of her second sight. Plus, she was the only one of Anne Marie's relatives that he trusted with their daughter.

He saw the exit in time and made the correct turn onto Trenton Street. The shop they were looking for was easy to find. Bill's car was parked in front of it, and it was the only one lit up at this hour on the silent street. Sam parked the truck and they got out. He glanced at his watch. It was five minutes after twelve.

"You are late," said Eric disapprovingly, appearing in front of the shop without Sam seeing him approach. Sam forced himself not to jump and Anne Marie just glared at the Viking. "Not a quality I prefer in my employees."

"Well, then, if you don't want to hire us—" Sam began, but Anne Marie gave him a look. "Sorry," he said, more to his wife than to Eric.

"I hope you will be more conscientious when you have a shift at Fangtasia," Eric said imperiously. "Well, come in. I need to pick out a new chair, so I figured I would conduct your interview at the same time."

"Interview."

"Yes. You don't think I hire anyone without an interview, do you, Sam?"

They entered the antique store and Sam caught a whiff of an unusual smell. It wasn't coming from the store, but from Eric. It was as if the vampire had eaten some bad fruit, Sam thought, though of course vampires didn't eat any such thing. He kept the thought to himself. It was going to be challenging enough to deal with Eric without losing his temper. Telling him that he smelled funny would not be a wise course of action.

"Well, Eric, I was under the impression that we were doing you a favor," Sam said, looking lazily around the shop. He was impressed with the quality of what he saw. There was nothing in the shop that would have felt at home in his trailer, but he knew good craftsmanship when he saw it.

Eric smiled slightly. "Sookie will be doing me a favor," he consented.

"Sookie say no," said Anne Marie flatly.

"Change her mind," Eric replied cavalierly. Better cavalier than angry, Sam decided.

Peggy and Bill were waiting inside the shop with the proprietor, who introduced himself as Evan Robert. He was a nervous human who paused every few minutes to mop his balding forehead with a handkerchief. Sam was inclined to like him. The man clearly hated working for vampires but was both afraid to say no and covetous of the money to be made by serving them.

Bill looked as quiet and dark as always, and Peggy as beautiful. Sam thought Peggy carried a hint of sadness around her eyes. He immediately felt defensive of her. He often wondered what she saw in Eric. He could be a decent guy when he wanted to, but ninety percent of the time Sam found him to be a jerk. Maybe Bill wasn't any better, Sam thought, if both their women were upset with them. Unfortunately he didn't have time to think about his friends' troubles right now.

"I'm looking for a throne," Eric said, just as cavalier with Robert as he had been with Sam and Anne Marie. Peggy rolled her eyes and Bill looked pained.

"We truly appreciate your agreeing to assist us at this late hour," Bill said politely. Evan Robert attempted to smile at him but only managed a pained grimace.

"I have a number of lovely chairs," he said, not looking at Eric or Bill. "Right this way, gentlemen. I think you will appreciate this antebellum classic."

"Stay with Margaret and Mrs. Merlotte," Eric told Bill, "Sam, if you will join me."

Sam expected his wife to protest, but Anne Marie shrugged and turned to join Bill and Peggy. Great. He fell in step behind Eric as Robert led them to the back of the shop where there was an assortment of elaborate chairs.

"So, Sam," said Eric as he looked over a cypress creation carved with rather ostentatious magnolia blossoms, "Why do you want to work at Fangtasia?"

"I don't," Sam said bluntly. "Pearletta asked us to help out."

"Mmmhmm. And what sort of salary are you looking for?"

"Well, I don't know, Eric. I guess that would be up to you. It's not about the money."

Eric turned and looked down at Sam, arching an eyebrow. "Your bar will be closed for a week. Surely you stand to lose a significant amount of money."

"Well, yes, but—"

"So working at Fangtasia would help you recoup your losses."

"I suppose."

"Then how can you say it's not about the money?" Without giving Sam a chance to respond, he turned to Robert. "Do you have anything made of oak?"

"Why, yes, yes of course, Mr. Northman." Evan Robert swiped his handkerchief over his sweaty head. "This piece here. It's quite large, and not as ornate as the magnolia chair, but it is very sturdy…"

Robert continued on the with the history of the chair while Eric looked it over. Sam thought it was ambitiously ugly. A monstrosity.

"That would be perfect at Fangtasia," he said.

"Do you think so?" Eric seated himself in the chair.

"You look like a king," Sam said, waving his hand and trying not to grin.

"That is exactly how I wish you to address me while you are working in my establishment," Eric said, leaning back. He looked at the price tag that was hanging from the arm rest and frowned. "I will give you half of that," he told Robert.

The antiques dealer paled. "That is already a highly discounted price," he said delicately, twiddling his fingers. "I could go perhaps…fifty dollars less."

While Eric and Evan Robert haggled over the price of the chair, Sam looked across the room. Anne Marie was standing a few feet away from the two vampires, staring into a case of jeweled hair combs. Bill and Peggy were looking at some Civil War era medals, and Bill was clearly telling her something about them. As Sam watched, Bill said something and smiled slightly, and Peggy tossed back her blonde head and laughed. It was the first time that night that she seemed cheered. She put her hand on Bill's arm and replied, and his slight smile became a broad grin.

A shiver of foreboding came over Sam. There was an attraction between them, he saw it clear as day. Wait, could something between two vampires even be thought of as clear as day? Never mind that, but what about Sookie? And Eric? Eric certainly would not be the type to stand for his lover to be unfaithful. Then again, who knew what sort of arrangement they shared. Vampires were not like humans.

Peggy had only been a vampire for three and a half years, Sam told himself. Surely she still stuck to human morality. She and Sookie were really good friends. How could she flirt with Sookie's husband?

Maybe Sam was making too much of it. It wasn't his business. He wasn't going to let it be his business. Sookie had kicked Bill out, and Eric was right there. Eric could handle it. Sam turned his attention back to the blond vampire. The Viking was writing a check out to Evan Roberts, who looked pleased as he swabbed his forehead with the damp cloth that had gotten a real workout during his sales pitch.

A few minutes later, they were all out on the sidewalk in front of the shop, and Robert had sworn the chair would be delivered at first dark. Eric seemed happy enough with both of his acquisitions, the chair and his new bartender and waitress.

"I would be most pleased if Sookie was with you tomorrow night," Eric said, looking at Sam and Anne Marie as they prepared to part company.

"Don't get your hopes up," Sam replied.

Eric nodded. "Then I will count on you to keep your eyes open for potential suspects who might be looking to do me in."

"Sam have a great nose," said Anne Marie.

"So do you," Sam told his wife proudly.

"I really hope you will help," Peggy said softly, looking at both of them, her blue eyes large and luminous. She slipped her arm through Eric's, clearly affectionate. Sam wondered how he could have thought she had something going with Bill. No, he must have imagined it.

"For you," said Anne Marie.

"Thanks," Eric said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Until tomorrow, then." He, Bill and Peggy all headed for Bill's car and Sam took Anne Marie's hand as they walked back to the truck.

"Somethin' bad goin' on wid Eric," said Anne Marie ominously once they were back on the highway.

"More than usual?" Sam asked with a bitter laugh.

"Yes. He smell like garbage."

"I noticed it, too," Sam admitted.

"And Peggy hot for Bill."

"I noticed that, too," Sam sighed, not trying to pretend it was his imagination any more.

"I kin deal wid gettin' Peggy back to Eric and Sookie back to Bill," Anne Marie said thoughtfully. "But you got to figure out who set dat bomb."

Somehow, Sam thought he had the easier task.


	9. Chapter 9

Peggy stared out the window of Bill's car as he drove back to Bon Temps. She was relieved that Eric, sitting in the back seat, had decided there was no need to return to Fangtasia tonight. That meant she would have a few hours alone with him before dawn when they got home. Well, alone with him and Bill, but she knew Bill would give them privacy if they needed it.

She thought they did. She and Eric needed to talk. She wondered if Eric even realized how badly they needed to talk. He had been going on about his new chair since they had left Monroe, pausing only once in a while for a response from her or Bill. She wondered how he would react if she asked him to get rid of Elise.

He had never denied her anything she had ever asked of him… but this time, she feared he would say no. She feared that he would consider this a ridiculous and unreasonable request. Maybe she shouldn't bring it up. Maybe she should just take him to bed and reinforce to him how good they were together.

"Who do you think set that bomb, Eric?" she said suddenly, interrupting his monologue on why oak was better for a chair than cypress.

Eric let out an audible sigh. "I have not one clue, Margaret," he said.

"Could it have been a human?" Bill asked, his voice low and serious.

"It is possible. In fact, I prefer to think it was a human rather than another vampire," Eric mused.

"Someone who works for you?" Bill suggested.

"That is unlikely. Pam keeps them under close control."

"Are there other vampires who might want to be the Sheriff of Area Five?" Peggy wondered.

"Possibly," said Eric.

"Well, we know it wasn't Chow," Bill said.

"If it was, his plan certainly backfired," Eric replied, sounding amused. "What about Pearletta? It is convenient for her to be without her maker."

"She would never do that!" Peggy protested. "Besides, Chow was decapitated by a piece of glass from the mirror behind the bar, which only broke when it got hit by the disco ball. It was clearly an accident."

"Was it?"

"She is not very fond of Eric," Bill pointed out.

"And she has connections to the shifters," Eric mused.

"You don't think shifters are behind this?" Peggy was aghast. "Sam—"

"Not Sam," said Eric. "Even I think more highly of him than that. However, we have always had trouble with the Boudreaux family. It would not be the first time they have tried to kill me."

"What about the truce?" said Peggy.

"Pearletta is supposed to be the truce," said Eric. "If she did this, it is broken."

"If you think the Boudreauxs might be responsible, you should arrange a meeting with Anne Marie's grandmother," Bill suggested. "She is an honorable woman, and can get to the heart of the matter before there are further casualties."

"Anne Marie would never have let Pearletta do this," Peggy said.

"Maybe she didn't know," Eric responded. "Or maybe she is not to be trusted either."

"You just hired her to work at Fangtasia," Bill said, sounding frustrated. "Why would you do that if you thought she might be trying to kill you?"

"Haven't you learned, Bill, to keep your friends close and your enemies closer?" Eric murmured.

All three of them fell silent, and the silence lasted until Bill parked the car under one of the large oak trees that framed the drive up to the house. Peggy slipped out of the car and took a moment to admire her home. She loved the restored antebellum plantation house. Its white Grecian columns, its gallery and huge windows were silent beacons to an earlier era.

"What was it like, back in those days, when it was new?" she asked Bill softly as he came to stand next to her.

"It was bustling with life," Bill said. "There was a huge family – the Beauregards, if I recall. They died out during the war. Dozens of slaves. Parties every month. You would have loved it."

"I love it now," she said, looking at Eric. He was already crossing the yard, and he paused on the steps to look back at them questioningly.

"I know you do," said Bill, and both of them knew that she meant Eric and not the house. The wind lifted the Viking's blond hair and though he didn't seem to notice, it made him seem even more fair and dangerous. Peggy shivered, walking towards him without taking her eyes off of him. Bill followed, but he paused at the threshold.

"Are you coming in?" Eric asked.

"I think I will go take a walk," Bill said.

"Perhaps Sookie will be willing to speak to you," Eric said hopefully, but Peggy didn't delude herself that he was worried about Bill's happiness. He just wanted Sookie to come work at Fangtasia and use her telepathy to find out who had set up the bomb.

"Perhaps," said Bill, then he turned and headed off into the trees.

Eric opened the door and held it for Peggy to enter. They were home, and they were alone – completely alone. Simone had called to bid them farewell earlier.

"This is the first time we have had the house just to ourselves in nearly a year," she said.

The corners of Eric's mouth turned up. "Do you want to make love in the kitchen?"

Peggy laughed. "Eric!"

"The living room sofa?"

"Every time I have tried to make love to you on the living room sofa you say you don't want to get blood on the suede."

"It is a light color, and bloodstains are so hard to get out," Eric mused. "Perhaps we are better off just going up to the bedroom."

"Maybe so," Peggy conceded. "At least until Bill returns, we know that no one will be listening!"

Eric scooped her up into his arms and headed up the wide, central staircase to the upper floor. Peggy put her arms around his neck and looked at him adoringly.

"I am glad you are in a better mood," Eric said as he carried her down the hall to their huge bedroom. It was decorated in chocolate brown and robin's egg blue at the moment. The colors were a perfect combination of the masculine and feminine, though Peggy knew that Eric would let her do it all in hot pink if she wanted. The brown in the curtains and coverlet brought out the rich tones of their dark wood furniture. Peggy had found period antiques to suit the house, though she had done most of the shopping back when they had first bought it, before she was a vampire.

"Am I?" she murmured as he pressed her onto the bed and kissed her slowly.

"You were upset earlier."

"Was I?" She kissed him back, sliding her tongue over his bottom lip. He already had a hint of fang showing and she suspected that she did as well.

"You cannot hide your moods from me, Margaret." Eric kissed his way down her throat and she turned her head, offering herself.

"I have never wanted to hide anything from you, Eric," she replied. "Every bit of me is yours."

"You are jealous of Elise."

She turned back to face him and looked into his blue eyes, which matched the color of their sheet set. "Yes. Silly of me, I suppose."

He nodded. "She is only a human."

"I was a human, once."

"I like you better as a vampire," Eric said firmly.

"Why?" She wondered if this question would test his patience, but it didn't seem to.

"Because you can be mine, always."

"And will you be mine always as well?"

He looked at her tenderly. "You do not need to ask."

She turned her head back, and Eric sank his fangs into her throat. Peggy moaned with the rough pleasure of it. Her blood could not feed him, but it still felt so very good, and this exchange bound them even more tightly together. Always. Forever. She wanted that. So badly. Eternity with Eric.

She heard him swallow, and his hands deftly freed her of her clothes while her essence flowed into him. When he withdrew his fangs, he licked his lips. His smile was wicked and wanton and encouraging. When their bodies came eagerly together, he shifted her up so she could thrust her own fangs into his flesh. The ivory column of his neck was cool beneath her lips.

He tasted different.

The thought struck her as his blood filled her mouth. There was a strange, added element to his blood that she had never encountered before. It was quite delicious, actually, and Peggy began to suck even harder at his throat. Normally they shared only a few mouthfuls, but tonight she didn't want to stop. She couldn't bring herself to tear away from him, even when he started to protest. His blood was so good!

"Margaret!" Eric's voice was raw and hoarse. "You must stop!"

But she didn't want to. She wasn't going to.

She was going to drink every last drop of him.


	10. Chapter 10

Sam knocked at the employees entrance to Fangtasia, since it was locked. This vaguely surprised him. Anne Marie stood just behind him, and he could feel her amusement as Pam yanked the door open. The blonde vampire stood with her hand on her hip and looked the two of them over.

"You will do," she drawled, then stepped aside to let them in. "Eric was afraid you wouldn't have appropriate clothing."

"Ever woman got a black dress," said Anne Marie.

Sam was wearing a tuxedo he had borrowed from Terry and it was the slightest bit too big. Still, he didn't think his flannel wardrobe was the look Fangtasia was going for. If Pam knew the suit wasn't tailored to him, she let it pass, and for that Sam was profoundly grateful.

Sam knew that Pam generally preferred pastel colors, but while on duty she clearly had to dress like what patrons expected to see in a vampire bar. Her dress was tight, black, and leather.

"I take it Sookie decided not to join you?" Pam frowned.

Sam shook his head. "We couldn't force her, Pam."

The blonde vampire shrugged. "Eric will be disappointed."

"Too bad," said Anne Marie.

Pam arched an eyebrow. "I like your shoes," she told Anne Marie, then she turned and led them into the club, which was not yet open for the evening. "We have employee lockers over here," she said, gesturing towards a small utility room on the left. "Eric's office is through there, but I suggest you refrain from bothering him when he is inside. Leave that to me."

"No problem," said Sam. Bothering Eric was the last thing he wanted to do. He did notice that the door hinges seemed slightly out of alignment.

"He in dere now?" asked Anne Marie.

"Eric is not here yet. He should be around in the bar area for most of the night should you have any questions, as shall I."

"Thank you."

Pam nodded. "Oh, yes. No biting, and no silver allowed on the premises."

"Who you think we gone bite?" ask Anne Marie, still amused.

Pam stopped and turned around to look at them. "I don't make the rules," she said.

"Thanks, Pam, we got it," Sam said easily. He looked around the main room of Fantasia. The bar was as he remembered it from the last time they had been here several months ago – dark, decorated in black and red, and slightly ominous. Maybe it was a little cleaner than usual. Sam spotted two men installing Eric's new antique throne, under the supervision of a harried, skinny human woman.

"Y'all better not drop that. No, put it to the left a little. And maybe you could angle it."

Pam rolled her eyes. "That's Ginger. She's our most senior human waitress. Of course, she's the only one who didn't quit after the bombing." Sam remembered seeing Ginger the other times he'd been here, but she hadn't been their server or spoken to them. Pam nodded at a young, pretty, dark-haired girl polishing glassware behind the bar. "That's Elise. She's new."

Sam's nose quivered as he looked at Elise, and he felt Anne Marie vibrate beside him. He knew without a doubt that Eric had been drinking the girl's blood – not from the bite mark on her throat which she had made no effort to camouflage, but because the scent of her was what had lingered on the Viking vampire when they had met him last night. Rotten fruit. He wondered if he should mention this to Pam, but then decided they had enough on their plate for the time being.

"Do you get a lot of vampires in here?" Sam asked, wondering if this was a stupid question.

"Not really," said Pam. "Most of the ones who come here are on duty."

"On duty?" asked Anne Marie, sounding amused. "Eric make dem come sit around and look fierce?"

"Yes," said Pam frankly. "It draws in the tourists. We get a lot of them here. Don't serve them any True Blood. They order it and never drink it, and that is wasteful."

Sam was surprised that Pam was worried about being wasteful, but he nodded in agreement. The men setting up the chair finished their work and held a paper for Ginger to sign, but she directed them over to Pam. Pam scribbled on it, barely looking at either the men or the paper, and the disdain they had held for Ginger melted into something akin to awe for Pam.

"You may go," she said dismissively, and they stumbled over each other in thanking her for her business. She didn't acknowledge them as they left the bar. She continued on with the tour. "Over there is our merchandise table. Do try to encourage the tourists to buy a souvenir t-shirt. It makes Eric happy and helps us advertise."

"You got it," said Sam, and wondered if anyone in Bon Temps would buy a Merlotte's t-shirt. He decided not.

"Great," Pam drawled. "We open in an hour. Feel free to acquaint yourself with the bar. I have to go make some phone calls."

Pam headed back the way they had come and Sam and Anne Marie made their way over to the bar. Ginger was now talking to (or maybe lecturing) Elise, who looked less than enthused, but she cut herself off and smiled brightly at the Merlottes.

"Well, hey there, y'all," she said. "You must be the new bartender and waitress. I'm so glad you're here. We've been short staffed for weeks, even before the… you know…"

"The bomb," said Sam.

Ginger nodded, her face taking on a pinched look. She clearly found the subject distasteful. "Awful, isn't it? I don't know who on earth would try to do that to Eric. He's really a nice man, for a vampire." Sam and Anne Marie exchanged a look. Eric? Nice? Uh huh. Eric was tolerable and occasionally humorous – on a good day. Er, night. "Well, I'm Ginger, and this here's Elise."

"Sam Merlotte," said Sam, reaching over to shake the women's hands. "This is my wife, Anne Marie."

"Woo! Warm hands! Guess you're not a vampire," Ginger said as Sam grasped her bony fingers. "You're the first living bartender we've had since the place opened."

"I'm just filling in for a week, until Eric can find someone full time, and nope," said Sam, "Not a vampire."

"Aww, too bad," said Elise. She tried to make it sound like a joke, but it made Sam prickle with irritation.

"I like him jes fine alive, me," said Anne Marie, frowning at the girl.

"Are you a Cajun? That's so cute!" Elise said, trying to make up for her faux pas and only managing to make it worse.

"Yes. You a fangbanger?" asked Anne Marie.

"Oh, we don't use that word around here," Ginger cautioned, but she managed to do it in a warm and confidential tone. Despite her strung out looks and over-sprayed hair, Ginger did have a pleasant quality to her, Sam thought. Elise, while young and pretty, completely lacked in tact and finesse. "Some people find it a little offensive."

"My deepest 'pologies," said Anne Marie, but she said it to Ginger and not Elise.

"One of the vampires who works here is a Cajun, too," Elise said.

"Dat my cousin Pearletta," said Anne Marie.

"Really!" Elise seemed impressed.

"Uh huh, I got a brother who a vampire, too," said Anne Marie, arching an eyebrow. "Simone."

"Is he skinny vampire with the red hair? The gay one?" Elise directed her question at Ginger, who promptly tried to redirect the conversation.

"Pam and Pearletta usually take turns running the door," Ginger said, covering up whatever she really felt with a big smile. "That way we don't need a bouncer. If the patrons give you any trouble, just flag over one of them." She directed the last bit to Anne Marie.

"Oh, Sam look out for me jes fine," Anne Marie said confidently.

"Well that is so sweet," said Ginger. "All-righty then. I'll just go over the list of drink specials and the prices with you all, if you don't mind. Elise, honey, you better listen, too. Eric doesn't like it when we make mistakes, and believe me, he always knows."

"Oh, I don't think he'd be too hard on me," Elise said confidently.

"Guess you don't know him too well," said Anne Marie. Elise gave her a look that was a combination of curiosity and territorial jealousy.

"Do you?"

"Why, yes," Anne Marie said sweetly. "He been livin' wid my bes' friend Peggy Hunter for near on four years now. Never seen a vampire couple so deeply in love as those two. They can't hardly keep their hands off each other."

Sam thought she was exaggerating, but only a little bit. He also knew she was defending Peggy against this slutty little fangbanger so he didn't interrupt. Besides, he was proud of her for going to bat for their absent friend.

"Vampires don't fall in love with other vampires," Elise said flatly, leaving off any pretension of being polite. She put her hands on her hips and took a step towards Anne Marie.

"No?" said Anne Marie mimicking the younger girl's behavior. "I didn't realize you was a expert."

Ginger shoved the drink specials menu between the two of them, effectively ending the confrontation and earning more of Sam's admiration. "Girls! I need y'all to learn these prices and what's in these drinks and we've only got ten minutes."

Anne Marie smiled at Ginger. "I can handle it, dawlin'," she promised. "Ain't much I can't handle."

Ginger nodded, then looked over at Elise. "I hope you can, too, Elise," she said sternly. "And if I were you, I'd try to stay on Miss Margaret's good side."


	11. Chapter 11

Peggy went flying backwards across the bedroom as Eric threw her off of him. She hit the wall with a thud, her head bouncing off of it. She slid down to the floor momentarily dazed. A second later, Eric was kneeling by her side, wearing a look of concern. His throat was torn open and dripping blood. His blood smelled so good, and she wanted it, but she knew she had taken too much already. His skin was paper white, and her stomach hurt.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"You're still bleeding," she mumbled, staring, transfixed. He was healing before her eyes.

"Margaret! Focus!"

"I wasn't trying to kill you. You just tasted so good," she said dreamily. She felt almost drunk. Woozy.

"You are not yourself." Eric gathered her up into his arms and tucked her into the bed. She reached up and touched his throat. It had finished healing and he didn't flinch. "And you could not kill me."

"Come to bed again, Eric," she said, her throat vibrating with the desire she felt. It was like she was in overdrive. All of her senses were alive. She wanted to indulge and overindulge them all.

Eric smiled, his eyes bright. "I am going to go downstairs and drink a True Blood. You need to come down."

"Come down? Downstairs?"

"No. You are high on my blood."

Peggy began laughing hysterically, and she wondered if he was right. "Eric…"

"I will be back in five minutes. Until then, try to relax."

The next thing she knew it was full dark, and she was just waking up. Eric was in bed beside her and there were six empty bottles of True Blood on the bedside table. His eyes were open, his color was nearly normal, and he was looking at her with interest.

"How are you feeling?"

Peggy took stock of herself, then smiled, sitting straight up. "I feel incredible," she said. "Very strong."

"What happened?" His voice was very soft, very serious.

"The taste of you made me crazy," she said. "I never felt that way before. I just wanted… all of you."

He nodded. "I see."

"Do you? It was like I couldn't stop myself!"

Eric bent and kissed her mouth. She felt both his desire for her and his love. He was trying to reassure her. She wasn't surprised by his next words, though they still hurt. "Perhaps we should abstain from exchanging blood for a while."

She nodded slowly. "Well, if I'm going to try to kill you every time, that's probably a good idea," she replied flippantly.

Eric sighed. "Margaret…"

"Did it occur to you, Eric, that the problem might be you and not me?" Peggy demanded.

The blond Viking frowned, considering what she was saying. "Well," he replied after a moment, "No."

"There is something different in your blood."

"How is that possible?"

"Someone you drank, maybe?"

He tilted his head and smiled. "You mean Elise."

"Yes." She hoped he wouldn't just decide that this was about her being jealous.

"There is something different about her," Eric mused. "I wonder if that is it, that it is something in her blood… I had just thought I found her attractive."

Peggy hit him with a pillow. Eric began to laugh, so she hit him again, and continued until he flipped her onto her back, tossed the pillow aside and straddled her. He kissed her, and with his skilled lips and hands found a way to distract her from her pique. He was very good at being distracting.

An hour later, they were showered and dressed and she sat on a stool in front of the vanity, looking into the mirror while Eric stood behind her, brushing her long blonde hair. Their eyes met in the reflection and he smiled at her, looking both satisfied and amused.

"I am not going to get rid of Elise," he said.

"I didn't ask you to."

"I am surprised. You want me to get rid of her."

"Yes." There was no use lying.

"But you do not wish to ask me to do so."

"You just told me you would say no," Peggy pointed out. "Why bother?"

Eric thought about this. "Maybe it would please me to have you ask."

Peggy turned around and looked at him. "Why would that please you? You like me to be jealous? To nag you, maybe?"

"Other women would," Eric said, his chin taking on a stubborn set. "Even Sookie nags Bill."

"Do you want to be nagged?"

"Maybe. No woman has ever dared nag me before. It might be refreshing."

Peggy sighed. "It's not my style, Eric. You will do what you want with Elise, regardless of my opinion. I don't wish to lower myself by begging, or nagging, or pleading with you to get rid of her. I do think maybe you shouldn't drink from her, if she was the one who made your blood taste so… so…"

"Delicious?"

"Far too tempting." She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, but then decided that she didn't really care what it looked like. "I will wait for you downstairs. Let me know when you're ready to go to Fangtasia."

She brushed past Eric and hurried out of their bedroom, running down the stairs he had carried her up the night before. She fought off the feelings that he aroused in her. She hated arguing with him, or having these endless conversations that led nowhere. She knew him so well, almost as well as she knew herself, and yet sometimes he was still impossible to figure out. This was one of those times.

Bill was downstairs in the living room reading a book, and Peggy wondered how much he had overheard. She was profoundly embarrassed, though Bill's manners were far too good for him to bring up what had happened upstairs. She forced a smile at him, but when he smiled back, the smile became real.

"Did you go see Sookie last night?" she blurted out, immediately regretting the question as Bill's smile faded away.

"No."

"Bill…" Peggy approached him and took his hand in her own. She just wanted to touch him, she admitted to herself. She wanted to steal some of his calm, his collectedness. He let her hold his cold fingers without trying to draw away, looking down at their entwined fingers. "Would you like me to talk to Sookie?" she asked softly.

"I could not ask such a thing of you, Margaret."

"You didn't. I offered."

"I think I would like you to speak to Sookie," Bill said slowly, "In that she needs a friend right now. It may help her to confide her feelings in another woman."

"I can do that," Peggy said.

"She considers you one of her very best friends," Bill said, sounding grateful. "I have every confidence that you can help her sort out what would be best for her – to take me back, or to file for divorce."

"Divorce! Bill, how can you say such a thing?"

"Maybe vampires and humans are not meant to wed."

Peggy let go of his fingers slowly. "I know she loves you."

"Yes," Bill said. "I believe that she does. I have not lost my confidence in her affection for me. However, I do not know if my being with her is good for her."

"But you already sold her house…"

Bill sighed. "Do you think I should renege on the deal? The paperwork has not been finalized yet." He frowned. "Sookie and I have been discussing selling that house for some time. It should have come as no surprise to her. I thought she would have been glad of the money…"

"I think money means very little to Sookie," Peggy said gently. "What if you moved into her house and sold yours instead?"

"I offered to do that," Bill said patiently.

"And she chose your house."

"Yes," Bill said firmly.

"Women are difficult to figure out, aren't they, Bill?" said Eric as he strolled into the living room. "Are you coming to Fangtasia tonight?"

"Do you want me to?" Bill asked.

"Actually, yes," said Eric. "I will not be able to relax until we find out who set that bomb."

"Then yes, I will be delighted to accompany you," Bill said, but he didn't sound remotely delighted.

"Great. You can drive," said Eric. He took Peggy's hand and led the three of them out into the balmy, warm night. They talked very little during the drive to Fangtasia. Bill stared at the road and Eric stared out the side window. Peggy stared at her hands, folded in her lap, feeling edgy.

Her mood was not improved when they found Elise in the back hallway of Fangtasia, clearly waiting for Eric.


	12. Chapter 12

Business was slow during the first two hours that Fangtasia was open, and for that Sam was profoundly glad. It gave him time to learn the drink specials and figure out where all the different brands of alcohol were kept. Ginger and Anne Marie handled most of the tables, with Elise barely pulling her weight. The younger girl spent most of the time wandering around the club and staring back at the employee entrance, clearly waiting for Eric to arrive. She also found any excuse that she could to go out back.

Sam noticed that for a fangbanger, she didn't seem interested in serving any of the tables with vampire patrons. He could only suppose that she had a thing for Eric exclusively, which was odd because most fangbangers would roll over for any vampire that crossed their path.

"Dat girl de worst waitress I ever see," said Anne Marie, coming over to pick up a round of Type B Negative True Bloods for a rowdy group of young vampires from New Orleans who were waiting to introduce themselves to Eric. Sam wondered idly if they knew Christopher Santiago. "Plus she smell like nutria poop."

"Good thing we don't have to worry about food," said Sam, putting the bottles on his wife's serving tray.

"Yes. Dis job easy enough, and dem vampires tip good, but still 'nuff work for three waitress and we only got two an a half."

"Next time she goes out back, follow her," Sam suggested.

"Sam! I ain' got time!" Anne Marie hurried off with the Bloods. Sam knew she wasn't about to keep the vampires waiting.

"Ginger, any chance you can get Elise to hustle a bit?" Sam asked the blonde when she came by to pick up a rum and coke.

"I've been tryin', but she doesn't listen too well," Ginger sighed. "Anne Marie's great help, though!"

"Maybe Eric needs to know," Sam suggested.

"I really hate to get anyone in trouble with Eric," Ginger said, "Maybe she's just nervous."

Somehow, Sam doubted that.

After one of Elise's trips to the employee hallway, she actually came to the bar and picked up an order for a small table she had passed on her way back. The smell of her that Sam had noticed on Eric was even stronger now. She reached for the drink Sam had made for her table and Sam grabbed her wrist.

"What are you?" he demanded in a low voice.

Elise's wide brown eyes opened even wider and Sam knew he had given himself away. She knew now that he was something more than human himself, even if she couldn't tell what. Silently he cursed himself, but he continued to glare at her.

"I'm just human, Sam," she said, smiling wickedly.

"I kinda doubt that," he said frankly. She looked down at his hand on her wrist and he let go, hoping he hadn't bruised her pale flesh.

"What are you?" Elise replied playfully.

"A friend of Eric's, who doesn't want to see him waste money on barmaids who don't do their share," Sam said pointedly.

Elise laughed. "Eric doesn't have friends," she said confidently. The statement threw Sam for a loop.

"Oh, yeah?" he said, though it wasn't exactly what he meant to say.

"Are you going to tell on me, Sam?" Elise fluttered her eyelashes at him. Now Sam felt even more frustrated and annoyed.

"Just go take this martini to your table," he snapped. Elise laughed as she took the order and flounced away.

"I am going to kill that little bitch," said Pam, appearing at the bar a moment later. "Eric really doesn't like wasting his money."

Sam wasn't sure if she meant literally or not, so he didn't respond directly. "Have you noticed anything strange about her?"

"Besides Eric's interest in her?"

"Yes. I mean, what could possibly draw him to such an immature young woman when he's got a girl like Peggy?"

"Blood," said Pam. "She does have a particularly appetizing aroma."

"Appetizing? Not, say, rotted?"

"No," said Pam, "There is a hint of something delicious and enticing about her, but every time I get close enough to investigate, she runs away from me. I just get a hint of that mouthwatering smell."

"Mouthwatering?" Clearly his shifter nose and her vampire one were gathering different impressions of Elise.

"She must taste better than she looks…and better than she acts," Pam drawled. "I just hope Eric tires of her quickly, before she causes any real trouble."

"Where is Eric, by the way?" Sam asked.

"He should be here any minute," Pam drawled. With that, she drifted away from the bar.

"I wish Sookie was here," Anne Marie groused. "Get me two gin an' tonic, cher?"

"You got it."

"Sookie could listen in on dat girl and fine out what de hell she up to," said Anne Marie, staring off at Elise, who was cleaning up a table. "Clearly she ain't here to start on a career as a barmaid, her."

"I have to admit, I want to know what she is," Sam told his wife in a low voice. "She smells terrible to us, but 'mouthwatering' to vampires. And damn it – she's going out back again!"

"M'gone hit her wid my tray," Anne Marie growled, and this time she stalked off after the girl.

Sam had no time to consider this because a trio of drunken businessmen came to the bar just then for a round of tequila shots. Sam smiled to himself and thought of Lafayette as he reached for the bottle of Patron.

He wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed when Anne Marie returned to the bar, but she looked worried when she did. He nodded at her to let her know he'd be right there. He was still pouring shots. He was amazed these guys could still stand up. Anne Marie took her gin and tonics away, and by the time she returned, Sam was free.

"Elise on drugs," she confided.

"What kind of drugs?"

"I think V, maybe. I seen her sip sometin' out a small vial. Didn't wanta confront her – dem V addicts can be ver' dangerous."

"If she's on V, Eric will really want to kill her," said Sam, sighing. "I don't like her one bit, but I don't want to see her get killed, either."

Anne Marie leaned across the bar and kissed Sam gently on the mouth. "You a good man, Sam Merlotte. Me, I won't cry if I see her on de news tomorrow."

Sam smiled at her faintly. Something caught his eye and he turned and looked towards the back of the bar. Peggy and Bill had arrived. Eric didn't appear to be with them, and Sam and Anne Marie exchanged a glance. Peggy's white face was blank, but her blue eyes glittered with rage. Bill looked slightly pained, which was normal for him. He had his hand on Peggy's shoulder.

Their arrival caused a stir in the club, Sam noticed. Though the two of them were silent and slipped into a large booth at the edge of the wall, every head in the room, vampire, human, or otherwise turned to look at them. Bill was wearing a dark gray suit with a white shirt, open at the collar, and Peggy had on a plain black dress, nothing as fancy as what the waitresses wore or Pam's leather ensemble.

"Don't they make a nice couple?" said Anne Marie, her voice dripping with acid. "Dis all Eric's fault."

"They aren't doing anything but sitting together," Sam pointed out. He quickly pulled out two bottles of O Negative and set them on Anne Marie's tray. "Here, go find out what's up."

Silently Anne Marie took the drinks and sashayed over to the new arrivals. Sam enjoyed watching her sashay. In fact, he had never met a woman with a finer backside for sashaying than Anne Marie. He wished suddenly that they had just used this week to maybe take a vacation. They could have taken Belle to Disney World, he thought ruefully. Instead they were caught up in this mess of Eric's.

He looked around the room, wondering if anyone there could be responsible for the bomb two nights earlier. Ginger? Elise? The vampires from New Orleans? Maybe someone from the antique shop had done it, just to get Eric to drop a boatload of money on a new chair, Sam thought giddily.

He realized that he hadn't spent much time trying to figure out who had put the jar of roaches in the cupboard at Merlotte's, for that matter. He had suspected one of the bus boys for a few minutes, but Sookie had cleared everyone who had been at their meeting. No one there had done it, she had insisted, and of course Sam believed her.

He wished he could hear what Anne Marie was saying to Peggy and Bill. He could see only his wife's back and see the two vampires' expressions. Bill was carefully keeping his face blank, despite the woeful look in his eyes. Peggy went from furious, to triumphant, to worried. She stood up once, but Bill put his hand over hers and she sat back down. Anne Marie said something else and Bill guiltily removed his hand from on top of Peggy's. He nodded, shook his head.

After a few minutes, Anne Marie returned to the bar. She sighed heavily. "Eric in back wid Elise," said Anne Marie. "Drinkin' her nasty blood. Phew, that girl smell worse than de swamp durin' alligator matin' season."

"Did you tell them about the V?"

Anne Marie nodded. "Thought Peggy was going to go kill her right now. But Eric got to stop this on his own."

"Stop what on my own?"

Eric Northman silently appeared at the bar next to Anne Marie.


	13. Chapter 13

When Eric entered the main room of Fangtasia, he didn't even turn to look at Peggy and Bill. He went straight over to talk to Sam, and to Anne Marie, who was with Sam at the bar. Staring at his back, broad shoulders and tousled blond mane of hair, Peggy squeezed Bill's fingers. Eric's hair had been much neater ten minutes ago, she thought.

"You are going to break my fingers," Bill said softly. Peggy let go of his hand.

"Sorry. But that bitch was back there messing up Eric's hair!"

"At least she did not mess up his clothes," said Bill, massaging his newly freed fingers. Peggy nodded, still glaring at Eric's back.

"I suppose you're right, Bill. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time he's had sex in that office."

"I do not need to know that."

"There she is."

Elise had appeared in the doorway. She looked pale and the bite mark on her neck was still red and raw. There was no doubt that Eric had tasted her again. However, her dress was also intact and showed no signs of being torn, or even mussed. Peggy was certain she had not taken it off. After all, Eric hadn't been gone long enough to thoroughly demonstrate the skill at which he had centuries of practice. She fixed her gaze on Eric, but stayed in the doorway, lurking and staring at him.

"If he drinks from her every night, it will take its toll," Bill pointed out. "Perhaps you should just let this run its course."

"It is so hard to bear. And what if she is really on V, like Anne Marie said?"

"V will not harm Eric," Bill pointed out sensibly, "We have eternity. It is best to learn patience."

A smile touched Peggy's lips and she looked into Bill's eyes. They were dark and bright and intriguing. Though there was a hint of sadness and worry in his gaze, it faded slightly as Bill smiled at her. The faint twist of his mouth lightened her spirits immeasurably and she was seized with the urge to touch her lips to his.

She refrained.

"You must stop looking at me that way, Margaret."

"What way?"

"With passion. You and I both know your heart and all of the rest of you belongs to Eric."

"Maybe not all of the rest of me…"

"And I have Sookie," he added firmly, but Peggy got the feeling he was reminding himself as much as he was reminding her.

"Sookie needs to forgive you," she whispered. "She needs to do it soon. Either that, or I might have to walk away from you."

Bill did not reply for a very long moment. "You are seeking a momentary comfort from me," he said. "But that comfort, sweet as it might be, would only end in disaster. Sookie is your friend, and Eric is my…"

"Your boss."

"I suppose. He is my elder."

"Would it hurt anything if we just… left for a while?"

"Left Bon Temps?" asked Bill, sounding so intrigued that Peggy's heart skipped a beat.

"No," she said gently, "I meant, left Fangtasia. Maybe just went for a walk together, out in the woods. Alone. I like talking to you."

"I like talking to you, too," Bill said.

"It would please me to know about the time you came from," Peggy said, "If you wanted to tell me."

"I would enjoy that very much," Bill admitted. "But right now, you are vulnerable, and I do not trust myself."

"I just need to get out of here," Peggy said, resting her face against her palm. "I feel so humiliated."

"Hold your head up," Bill said soothingly. "You have much to be proud of. This will pass."

She lifted her head and sat up straight. "Thank you, Bill. You're a good friend."

Bill nodded. She looked over at Eric, who was still at the bar talking to Sam. The low pulse of the music playing in the club purposely made eavesdropping from a distance impossible. She looked over at Elise, who was still hanging around the doorway.

"Let's have some fun with this," Bill said, and there was a hint in his tone which Peggy had never heard before. He sounded dangerous. Peggy realized then that Elise had been sneaking peeks over at their table. When Elise looked over at them again, Bill lifted his hand and beckoned to her. She ignored him. After a second attempt, he sighed. "What kind of waitress refuses to service a vampire table in a vampire establishment?"

"I don't think her goal is to be employee of the month," said Peggy. "Besides, what on earth will calling her over do besides give her the chance to spit in our True Blood?"

"Did it never occur to you that you could glamour her?"

Peggy blinked. "Uh… actually, no."

"You could tell her to leave."

"I could."

"You could tell her to stay away from Eric."  
"I would like that."

"Or, you could ask her to tell you who her V dealer is. Turn him in, please Eric, and be rid of her all at once."

"I might like that best of all," Peggy smiled broadly. She felt her fangs pop out, attracting the attention of at least half of the room. Bill chuckled. "I have never seen this side of you before, Bill."

"Which side is that?" Bill asked, smiling faintly.

"The dark side."

"Like in Star Wars?"

"You've seen Star Wars?"

Bill nodded. "I have seen a great many films. Movies are an excellent form of entertainment for those of us who have an endless number of nights to enjoy them. Do you know what my favorite is?"

Peggy hazarded a guess. "'Gone With the Wind?'"

Bill laughed loudly, for a long time. This garnered nearly as much attention as Peggy's fangs. When he stopped laughing, he wiped a bloody tear from one eye. "No," he said, composing his expression, "It's 'Twilight.'"

"Are you serious?" Peggy demanded.

Bill chuckled, and the chuckle was on the edge of becoming full-blown laughter once more. "No," he said. "I am just teasing you, Margaret."

"So what is your favorite movie?" she asked, grinning at him.

Before Bill could answer, Elise looked over at them again and this time, he caught her eyes. The girl's expression went blank and she approached their table as if in a daze. She was under Bill's influence, and Peggy felt a hot jab of satisfaction deep in her belly.

"Good evening, Elise," said Bill.

"Good evening…Mister Compton." Her voice was breathy and irritating, and if Peggy had not felt so triumphant, she would have scowled. "What can I do for you?"

Peggy took a deep breath – unnecessary, but it filled her with the girl's unusual scent. Yes, she was in Eric's blood. She had caused Peggy to nearly drain Eric to death… or at least make the attempt. Damn, but she did smell so good. No wonder Eric had decided to keep her around. Peggy had never smelled another human this delicious before. Her fangs pressed sharply against the inside of her mouth.

"You smell very appetizing," said Bill, and Peggy saw that his fangs had descended as well.

"Thank you," said Elise.

"It is quite unusual… though slightly familiar," Bill commented to Peggy. "I find myself quite overwhelmed with the urge to taste you."

Without being asked, Elise slipped into the booth onto Bill's lap. She tugged at the neckline of her dress, baring the unmarked side of her throat. The fabric wavered at her breasts, too large for such a young girl, Peggy thought. Maybe they were fake. Bill opened his mouth, tempted.

"Bill, no," Peggy hissed.

"What is it about you that makes your blood give off this siren call?"

"It's—" Elise began, but Bill shook his head as if clearing it, then pushed the girl off of his lap and out of the booth. She fell to the floor, and unfortunately, jarred her out of Bill's glamour. She shook her head, and jumped to her feet.

"What is going on?" Eric demanded, zooming across the room to their table. He grabbed Elise's arm roughly and she cried out. "I told you to stay away from Margaret, Elise."

"I was just coming over to see if their drinks needed freshening when Mr. Compton attacked me," Elise lied.

She flung her arms around Eric and boo-hooed into his chest. He did not move to return the embrace or to comfort her. In fact, Eric looked irritated. He wrapped her hair around his hand and pulled her head backwards, though to be fair, Peggy thought, he did it with so little force that she probably enjoyed it.

"Anne Marie saw you taking drugs," Eric said bluntly. "What was it?"

"I didn't—" Eric yanked on her hair. "Ow! Eric, you're hurting me!"

"Was it V?" Eric's voice was soft and deadly.

"No!"

"Then what was it?" Eric never raised his voice, only looked into her eyes and gave her no choice but to answer.

"It's—"


	14. Chapter 14

Sam and Anne Marie were both quiet in the car as they drove home from Fangtasia. It was about four-thirty in the morning, and Sam felt exhausted. Working at the vampire bar had been a lot more stressful than tending his own. Anne Marie pulled a huge pile of money out of her pocket and looked at it. She wasn't nearly as tired as Sam, he could tell.

"Vampires tip good," she said with satisfaction.

"Yeah? You did okay?" Sam had stuffed his share of tips in his pocket without bothering to even estimate how much might be there.

"Woulda bin fun, not for all de drama," she said wistfully. "I feel bad for Peggy, me. Dealin' wid dat bitch Eric so hot for."

"I don't think he's so hot for her now that you told him she was taking V," Sam said grimly.

"Guess we find out tomorrow."

The last they had seen, Eric had taken Elise by the wrist and dragged her out of Fangtasia. Peggy and Bill had followed, and none of them had returned. After that, the business in the bar had been easy enough to handle. Sam had asked Pam about what had happened, but she had provided only a vague answer.

When they got home to Bon Temps, Gran-mawmaw Boudreaux was sitting on the front porch of their trailer, rocking little Belle on her lap. The baby was half asleep, but woke immediately and began to wiggle when her parents arrived. Chuckling, Gran-mawmaw set her on her sturdy little legs and she toddled over, holding up her chubby arms. Her red-gold hair curled around her face and her eyes were large and green like her mother's. She was dressed in a little pink nightie.

Sam scooped her up and swung her around. "Here's my princess!"

"Daddy!" Belle squealed happily.

"You been behaving for Gran-mawmaw?" Sam asked, grinning widely.

"Uh-huh."

All the problems of the whole night melted away in this moment. He looked over at Anne Marie and she was smiling just as much as Sam was. The pale glow of the light in Merlotte's parking lot was behind her, framing her red curls and making them gleam in a halo around her sweet face.

"Oh, dat's a good chile," said Gran-mawmaw, "M'happy to keep her, me. But what I wants to know is, why you two smell so nasty?"

Sam and Anne Marie both drew in a great big sniff simultaneously. Sam's mind whirled as he dissected the different smells clinging to them both. He forced himself to ignore the rich, seductive smell of the wood behind the trailer, the sweet flowers that his wife had planted in the yard, the spicy smell of his grandmother-in-law and other things that were the common, pleasant smells of home.

Clinging to him and Anne Marie both were the bar smells – alcohol, cleaning solution, the tangy, metallic whiff of True Blood. The dry smell of vampires, a bare whisper to the nose. Human sweat.

"Well, you know we was at Fangtasia, Gran-mawmaw," said Anne Marie.

"I know, I know – I 'spected to be smellin' vampers on you."

"Dere somepin else?"

"Somepin rotten," said Gran-mawmaw. "Bad juju."

Sam and Anne Marie exchanged a glance and said at once, "Elise."

"Who Elise is?" asked Gran-mawmaw.

"She's a waitress at Fangtasia," said Sam diplomatically.

"She Eric Northman's new toy, her," said Anne Marie, a bit less so.

"Dat Eric Northman – you tink livin' a thousand years give a man some sense." Gran-mawmaw sighed, shaking her gray head. "Tell him I says throw dat girl in de swamp."

"Certainly make her smell better," said Anne Marie. Belle let out a little shriek and reached out for her mother, so Sam passed her over.

"What is it, Gran-mawmaw? Do you know what she is?"

"She a human, her," said Gran-mawmaw.

"Gran-mawmaw," Anne Marie said gently, "If she a human, why do she smell so rotten?"

"And why do the vampires like it?" Sam added. He ran a hand through his reddish-gold hair, causing it to stick up at odd angles. Sam stifled a yawn. He needed to get to bed.

"Fairy blood," said Gran-mawmaw.

"Fairy blood?" This was the night for Sam and Anne Marie to have identical reactions and say the same thing at once, Sam guessed.

"Uh-huh," said Gran-mawmaw.

"I never met a fairy, me," said Anne Marie. "Dey really stink like dat?"

"No, no, chile," said Gran-mawmaw. "Their blood just rot real fast."

"That explains why Eric can't keep his hands off of her," said Sam thoughtfully. "But I thought you said she was human."

"Don' you listen, Sam Merlotte?" said Gran-mawmaw, "Dis Elise, she been drinkin' rotten fairy blood. It a new fang-banger trick to attrack vampers. M'surprise a one of 'em ain't ate her up yet."

"Dat explain why she been avoidin' the vampires in the club," said Anne Marie. "She only after Eric."

"Well," said Sam thoughtfully, "At least we can let Eric know what's going on."

"Not til tonight," said Anne Marie, and Sam realized that the sun was starting to rise.

"We also need to find out where she's getting fairy blood and put a stop to it," said Sam.

"You do," said Gran-mawmaw, nodding.

"But first, we need to get some sleep," Sam said. Anne Marie nodded in agreement.

"No," said Gran-mawmaw.

"No?" Sam and Anne Marie formed their own choir again.

"I am not lettin' you set foot in dis trailer smellin' like dat. Give me dat baby, and y'all go run through dat wood and jump in de lake. Come back when you clean."

Two minutes later, a collie and a dachshund were loping through the woods, the light of the rising sun kissing them through the trees. Sam let out a happy bark. This was the best he'd felt in three days. Despite being low to the ground, the dachshund had no trouble keeping up with him. Trees, ivy, rabbits in the brush. It all smelled so wild and good and delicious.

Sam reached the lake and went sailing off of the dock in his dog form. He went underwater and came up a human. Anne Marie was waiting for him, smiling, when he emerged. He tried not to stare at her breasts, but failed spectacularly. Luckily, she didn't seem to mind.

"You owe me, Sam," she said, swimming towards him. "Next time, you do a cat."

"All right," he said, pulling his wife into his arms. "I suppose I can give it a shot. It just doesn't seem like as much fun."

"I show you how much fun it is," she promised, and then she kissed him, long and slow, and Sam forgot that there was anything in the world besides the two of them, this lake, and the gentle caress of the rising sun dappling through the trees.

Together Sam and Anne Marie bobbed in the water, arms and legs wrapped around each other. The kisses and caresses went on and on, unhurried, unrushed, with nothing to hurry them or stop them. Sam gave in to the perfect happiness of this moment. His life had changed so much since Anne Marie had come into his life. The loneliness of his past seemed like a distant memory.

"Sam?" she murmured in his ear, her voice husky.

"Yes, cher?" His hand swept slowly down the curve of her hip, the water lapping around them.

"You happy?"

"Do you have to ask?" he said in a teasing tone. His lips moved over her cheek, his tongue teased her ear, and he was pleased when she gasped. "Are you happy?"

"Oh yes," she sighed, "But Sam… I…"

She wanted something, he thought. "What is it?"

"You think… you think we might have another baby?"

Sam felt a little shock go through him. To tell the truth, he'd never thought about it. Belle had come along by accident, but he had never regretted that, not for one second. Their daughter was the apple of his eye. She had made his relationship with Anne Marie stronger and deeper than anything he had ever dreamed of sharing with any woman. Sam took a deep breath before he answered her.

"Just one?"

Anne Marie put her head in the crook of his neck and sobbed. "Really?"

"Let's have a dozen," Sam said. She lifted her head, smiling, tears of happiness staining her round cheeks.

"Well, dat may be a lot."

"We can have as many as you want," Sam promised.

"I love you, Sam Merlotte," said Anne Marie.

"We can start making them right now," he promised, and began to kiss her again.

"I like dat idea," said Anne Marie, and her tears melted away as the naughty look he loved so well came into her green eyes.

Sam pulled his wife up out of the water onto the dock and began to show her exactly how serious he was.


	15. Chapter 15

"Eric," said Bill very quietly, "There are a great many people watching you right now. I suggest you take this out back."

Eric nodded. "Of course, you are right." He let go of Elise's hair and took her by the wrist. She stood still, under the influence of Eric's glamour. "Let's all go to my office," he said. "Now."

Peggy and Bill stood up as Eric propelled Elise out of Fangtasia towards the back corridor that led to his office. They followed him quietly, not looking around the club or at each other. Peggy viciously hoped that Eric would rip the girl's throat clean out, but she also knew that doing that in the middle of Fangtasia was a very, very bad idea.

"Have you ever heard of this Vamp Attract that she mentioned?" Peggy asked Bill as they approached Eric's office.

"No," said Bill. "Whoever gave her whatever it is she was taking lied to her about it."

"This can't be good."

"It works, though," Bill said.

Peggy nodded and the two of them stepped into Eric's office. She closed the door behind them. Eric had dumped Elise into a chair in front of his desk. Peggy saw a dark bruise swelling on the girl's wrist. Eric certainly hadn't been delicate with her. He was seated behind his desk, looking formidable, his hands steepled in front of him.

"Tell me everything, Elise," Eric said.

"I was born in Florida—"

"No," Eric cut her off. "Tell me everything about the drugs."

"It's not drugs," Elise insisted. "It's Vamp Attract. It's a magic potion for attracting vampires. You drink it and it makes vampires want you."

"Don't you know how dangerous it is to make vampires want you?" Eric asked, smiling wickedly.

"That's why I had to stay away from the others. I wanted to attract you, Eric. Only you."

"Why me?"

"I came here one night with some friends and saw you. You are so gorgeous, and I wanted you, but I was afraid to talk to you."

Peggy rolled her eyes, knowing her anger and jealousy was written all over her face. Her hands balled into fists, but Bill put a hand on her shoulder, a silent reminder to let Eric handle the situation and not to do anything rash. Like say, tear the little bitch to pieces all over Eric's office. Eric's expression turned slightly vain at the girl's words, and that only made it worse.

"What is in the Vamp Attract?" Eric asked, getting back on topic.

"I don't know. It's red and sticky. It just tastes like cotton candy."

"Did you buy it from a witch?" Eric asked. His tone was level and quiet. Thoughtful.

"I don't know."

"From who did you buy it?" he tried again.

"I got it at a voodoo shop."

"There's a voodoo shop in Shreveport?" said Bill.

"I bought it in New Orleans," said Elise.

"Do you have more?" Eric asked.

"Eric!" Peggy snapped. Eric looked at her sharply, but then his expression softened. She felt mollified.

"Trust me, Margaret."

She did trust him, so she shut up. Eric turned his gaze back to the human girl who was still under his glamour.

"Do you have more of this Vamp Attract?" he asked again.

Elise reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny vial that was half full of red liquid. Obediently she handed it over to Eric. Eric took the vial and held it up to the light, as if he could determine what it was by sight alone. When he could not, he began to unscrew the top.

"Eric, do not open that," Bill said sharply.

"Are you giving me a command, Bill?" Eric asked.

"A suggestion!" Bill said.

"Think of what it must taste like, Bill," said Eric. "If it makes her blood so delicious think of what it must taste like undiluted."

"Please don't, Eric," Peggy whispered. "You need to destroy that." His eyes met hers again, and he sighed. Eric opened the desk drawer and tossed the vial inside, then slammed the drawer shut.

"I will think on this," he said, and Peggy knew that for him it was a huge concession.

"What will you do with the girl?" Bill asked. Eric looked back at Elise.

"You will not ever use Vamp Attract again," he told her. She nodded, having no choice. "You will continue to work at Fangtasia. You will give yourself to any vampire who asks for you."

"She will die," said Bill. "They will drain her dry."

"Perhaps," said Eric. "Or maybe the effects of the drug will wear off first. It will be an interesting experiment."

Peggy couldn't help but feel a twist of satisfaction in her stomach. Did that make her a bad person? She wondered. Oh, wait – she was a vampire. Surely she was allowed to give in to that nature sometimes.

"You forget, Bill, that there is no biting allowed on the premises. So she would have to meet them after hours."

"A technicality," said Bill. He looked at her, his dark eyes unfathomable, and she wondered if she had lost some of his esteem. Peggy felt a flush of shame.

"And you can have her now, Bill," said Eric. "I know you wanted her. I saw what happened in the bar."

Bill glared at Eric. "I do not want this girl in any way."

"What about Margaret?" Eric asked Bill pointedly. "Do you want her?"

"Are you planning to give me away, Eric?" Peggy demanded bitterly. She didn't want Bill to answer that question in either the positive or the negative.

"Never," Eric said, the one word so infused with danger that she felt a momentary thrill of fear. "And no one had better forget that, ever."

He snapped his hand at Elise, releasing her from the glamour. She shook her head, jumped up immediately from the chair, and flung herself across the desk, her arms going around Eric. Her foot kicked a stapler towards Bill's head, but Bill snatched it out of the air before it had the chance to bean him. A pile of paper bills and receipts flew up and landed all over the floor. Business cards slid down over the rug, and Eric's pencil cup upturned, Fangtasia logo pencils rolling everywhere.

Eric caught Elise instinctively, but his look of dismay as the items on his desk scattered was comical enough to break the tension in the room. Peggy giggled and saw Bill grin as he set the stapler back down on top of Eric's desk calendar, which was now at a jaunty angle.

"I love you, Eric," Elise shrieked.

"Seriously?" Peggy said. "You seriously think that is going to work?"

Eric set Elise on her feet and looked at her with something akin to embarrassment. "Go home, Elise," he said. "Now."

Elise looked around at the three of them. The humor of the upset of Eric's desk no longer showed on any of their faces, and perhaps it at last penetrated the girl how dangerous her situation was. To her credit, she composed herself well and quickly, and then gave Eric a seductive look.

"I think you'll find there's more between us than Vamp Attract, Eric," she said in a throaty tone, then turned and flounced out of the office, leaving the door open behind her. Peggy looked at Eric, but his expression was still closed. She wondered if the girl's words were true. She opened herself, reaching silently to the Viking through their blood bond, and felt the embarrassment and confusion that he was trying to hide.

"She drugged me," Eric said. All three of them knew that wasn't the whole story, but it was very late and it was easier for Peggy and Bill just to nod in agreement than debate the issue any longer. Peggy bent and started picking up the things that had been knocked off the desk, but Eric put his hand gently on her shoulder. "Ginger will clean it up," he said. "Let's just go home."

His touch was electric. Peggy wanted to lean against him, fall into his arms, but she didn't. Not in front of Bill. Eric took her hand, nodded at Bill and led the two of them out the back entrance. They got into Bill's car and drove silently back to Bon Temps. Peggy wondered what would happen when they saw Elise again tomorrow night. Would Eric drink from her again, knowing that her blood was drugged? The enhancement hadn't seemed to hurt him, she reflected, other than the fact that it made her want to drain him to death.

She took a deep breath. The smell of Elise's Vamp Attract still clung to him, sweet and tempting. Concentrating on the alluring scent made her fangs pop out. She wondered that it didn't affect Bill the same way, but then again, Bill was much older and had much more control. To new vampires, however, it was much more irresistible. If Eric made love to her tonight, not biting him would be nearly impossible.

Maybe it was better if she went out and slept alone in the dirt, she thought. She had only done so a few times, and hated waking up filthy. She wouldn't have ever done it at all if Eric hadn't insisted that she learn, for safety. Making up her mind to the matter, Peggy decided that this was the best course of action. She needed to keep away from Eric… for now.


	16. Chapter 16

"Elise called in sick," said Ginger in an apologetic tone as Sam and Anne Marie entered Fangtasia at quarter til dark.

"Really?" said Sam, surprised, but Anne Marie just shook her head.

"Hmph," she said, "Don't you worry none, Ginger. I can handle it, me."

Ginger beamed at Anne Marie. "You're the best, sugar. I really hope y'all aren't serious about leavin' after a week, because you're the best help we've had in… in… ever."

"We'll see," said Sam, though he knew that this was, well, a lie. Unless, of course, Andy Bellefleur shut down Merlotte's for another week. Or longer. Oh, God, he hoped not.

"Eric drag Elise off last night," said Anne Marie. "He din kill her, did he?"

Ginger considered. "Well," she said, "I would hope he'd-a told me so I could be interviewing some new girls during the day time! But no, I talked to her on the phone. Said she was sick."

Sam nodded. "We'll manage without her."

He set to cleaning and organizing the bar, and making a quick list of what bottles needed to be restocked and what flavors of True Blood they were running low on. Anne Marie did her prep and helped Ginger with a few tasks before Pam and Pearletta arrived at full dark.

"Still no Sookie?" asked Pam.

"I didn't even have a chance to talk to her," Sam said. Pam shrugged. It didn't seem to bother her either way. Sam could only hope Eric would be equally easy going about it.

Eric arrived alone around midnight, when Fangtasia was in full swing. Since it was a Monday, the light crowd was easy enough for Sam, Anne Marie, and Ginger to handle. The Viking vampire was wearing a dark green pair of form fitting pants and a shiny silver-colored tank top.

Eric draped himself over his new throne and commenced to looking bored while the humans in the club dared each other to approach him. Not long after Eric arrived, Sam saw Pam go over to talk to him, but the conversation was quite brief, and Pam looked irritated when Eric dismissed her.

Sam wondered where Peggy was, and Bill, for that matter. Had Eric left them home alone together? Was that a good idea? Either way, it wasn't any of Sam's business. He didn't have much chance to ruminate on it in any case, because just then two of his wife's brothers walked into Fangtasia, and they weren't the two that he liked.

Johnny Bob and Roget Boudreaux could never have passed for anything but what they were – big Cajun rednecks. However, they were also shifters who could change pretty quickly into big mean alligators. To their credit, they seemed to have tried to dress up, Sam thought. They had on clean-looking (and smelling, to Sam's nose) plaid flannel shirts and only slightly faded blue jeans.

Despite the truce between the shifters and vampires of Shreveport, the Boudreaux brothers were no big fans of the living dead. For them to come into Fangtasia was unusual, to say the least. Eric certainly didn't get up to welcome them, but he sat up rigidly on his throne and Sam knew he was watching for trouble.

"No discounts or free drinks for relatives," Pam drawled as she walked past the bar.

Anne Marie, arriving at the bar to pick up a round of True Bloods for the young vampires from New Orleans who had returned again tonight, gaped at Sam when he pointed out the new arrivals. A moment later, Johnny Bob and Roget sauntered over to the bar to greet her.

"Gran-mawmaw tole us you was workin' up in dis here vamper bar, but we din believe none of it," said Roget, scratching his chin under his thick red beard.

"Gran-mawmaw don't lie, her," said Anne Marie, lifting her chin to stare up at her brothers, who were each at least a foot taller than her and two feet wider. "You best not make no trouble in here."

"We jes out for a drink, lil sister," said Johnny Bob easily. He leaned against the bar. "Hey Sam, what say you get me and Roget each an Abita?"

"I say you better listen to your sister," Sam replied in an amicable tone as he got the beers. Johnny Bob paid for them using the dirtiest stack of crumpled one dollar bills Sam had ever seen, but to his credit he didn't ask for a discount.

"Why Merlotte's is closed?" asked Roget.

"It's just for a week," Sam said irritably. "The health inspector found… a problem."

"You got bugs in your kitchen?" asked Johnny Bob, exchanging a sly glance with his brother. Roget snorted through a mouthful of beer, splashing some on his shirt.

"You know somethin' 'bout the bugs in our kitchen?" Anne Marie demanded.

"Well, what kind of bugs was they?" asked Roget, trying to look serious, but unable to hold back a snigger.

Sam felt his hands tighten into fists as a growing rage mounted inside of him. "I really, truly hope that you don't know how those bugs got in my kitchen," he growled.

"I will kill the two of you dead," Anne Marie threatened, and she flounced off with her tray of True Blood.

"Sam, we just can't admit to nothin'," said Johnny Bob, grinning. Sam was glad Anne Marie's teeth had turned out better than her brother's. Also, she had quite a few more of them than Johnny Bob did.

"You watchin' over her in dis place?" Roget asked Sam seriously as Anne Marie set down her burden at the vampire table across the room.

"You two have a talent for pissing me off," Sam said.

"Oh, they got a talent for pissin' ever-one off, Sam," said Pearletta. She had appeared at the bar as if out of nowhere, causing Roget to splash beer on his shirt for a second time.

"Damn, girl, don't you be sneakin' up on your cousins," said Johnny Bob.

"You look nice, Pearletta," said Roget. "Jes mighty white."

"And cold," said Johnny Bob. "Brrr! Like to freeze up a man's innards jes to look at you."

"I like bein' a vampire, me," Pearletta told her cousins, sounding just as cold as they painted her. "No one messes round wid me now." The look she gave them was pointed.

"Aw, girl, you know we never meant you no harm," said Roget.

"Folks up to Gator Bayou misses you," said Johnny Bob. "Always askin' where is she, the hostess with the nice behind." Gator Bayou was the Cajun restaurant owned and run by the Boudreaux family. It was just down the street a bit from Fangtasia. Pearletta had been a hostess there before the unfortunate accident that had forced Chow to turn her into a vampire.

Sam wondered if she missed Chow, or if she had despised him for making her into what she was without her consent. Pearletta couldn't have had anything to do with the explosion that had resulted in Chow's final death… could she?

Anne Marie came back to the bar just them, having taken care of the New Orleans table.

"Finish up your beers and get along wid you," she told her brothers. "And if I find out you two put them roaches in Merlotte's kitchen, m'gonna make the pair of you into a matching set of luggage."

"We just come by to tell you some news," said Johnny Bob, trying to sound put out.

"And what is dat?"

"We gone baby-sit Belle for you tomorrow night."

"No you certainly is not!" said Anne Marie.

"Gran-mawmaw….busy tomorrow," said Roget conspiratorially.

"One of us will have to stay home," said Sam, but unfortunately Ginger came to the bar just them to pick up an order of gin and tonics.

"Oh, no!" she said. "I need both of you here tomorrow."

"Ginger—"

She stalked off with her tray. "I am not hearing this!"

"They is family, Sam," said Anne Marie, sounding almost as if she didn't quite believe it.

"We will find someone else," Sam said firmly. "We'll ask Arlene. She ought to be free."

Johnny Bob chuckled. "Don't y'all worry none. Belle be jes fine wid her two oncles."

"We good wid de lil ones," said Roget. The two men set their beer bottles on the bar, leaving twin wet rings on the wood.

"Dis ain't gone happen," said Pearletta. "Anne Marie—no."

"Arlene owe me a lotta favors," Anne Marie said thoughtfully.

"Well, lil sister, you jes call us when you can't get no one else," said Johnny Bob. He laughed again, and with that he and Roget left the bar. Anne Marie sighed with relief and Sam allowed his hands to unclench. He took away the bottles and wiped down the bar. Pearletta drifted back to her post.

"What's Gran-mawmaw got on for tomorrow night?" Sam asked.

"Prob'ly some voodoo ceremony," Anne Marie said.

Sam wondered if it was better to leave their daughter with the two deranged Cajun shifters or an ancient voodoo priestess.

"I hope Arlene is free," he muttered. Anne Marie nodded sadly in agreement.


	17. Chapter 17

Peggy clawed her way up and out of the dirt. There was something peaceful and serene about spending the night in the ground, but all the same, she couldn't wait to get in the shower.

She wondered vaguely if it had been a mistake to spend the night alone, away from Eric. Did they really need space, or was what they really needed perhaps to talk more? It just seemed that when they tried to talk, their conversations went around in circles.

She was glad that Eric had seen the truth about Elise, but she had a feeling that he was not done with the Vamp Attract-ing human just yet. And what the hell was in that Vamp Attract, anyway? She sure as hell hoped more humans weren't going to show up with it, particularly if they were interested in Eric… but she had to face it. Eric was unnaturally handsome and she was in for an eternity of watching other people lust after him.

Peggy knew that she had to learn to trust Eric. Why was it so difficult? After all, Eric trusted her. Not that she felt that she was on the same level as him. She had never been subject to the sort of attention that Eric was on a near nightly basis.

She stretched. She'd slept naked in the ground, and little bits of dirt clung to her body, falling free as she moved. Peggy ran her hands down her body, her nipples erect in the cool night air. It felt absolutely delicious to stand there in the moonlight, all alone…

Except that she wasn't alone.

Bill Compton stood a few yards away. He was staring at her, and his eyes seemed to gleam red in the darkness. He snarled slightly, and she saw the flash of his fangs. He wanted her. It showed in his posture as well as in the fit of his pants. Peggy felt a rush of unbridled lust as she stared at Bill.

It was so tempting.

In her mind's eye, she could see herself rushing into Bill's arms, divesting him of his somber clothing, stroking the aching pulse between his legs, pushing him down, straddling him, taking him into herself. She could imagine Bill's fangs tearing into her throat, and her own tearing into him. She could almost feel exactly what it would be like for their blood to mingle, cool and spicy and wild.

Peggy trembled. It was wrong, she told herself sternly. She loved Eric, and Bill loved Sookie, and Sookie was one of her best friends. And yet, there was no way for either one of them to deny what they felt.

So they stood there, the two of them, Bill admiring her naked, dirty body and Peggy wanting and wishing and fighting the instinct that wanted so badly to mate with this dark and intriguing vampire.

"Eric left for Fangtasia," Bill said after a few moments.

"Did he fly?"

"No. He took his corvette."

"Ah," said Peggy. "I don't think I particularly want to go to Fangtasia tonight."

"Nor do I," said Bill, "But I wonder if Eric is best left alone."

"He's not alone. Pam's there. Pearletta. The shifters…" She didn't mention Elise. She had no idea whether the bold waitress would show up and continue her pursuit of Eric, or if the glamour would truly force her to give herself any vampire who asked for her.

"Then I wonder," said Bill, "If we are best left alone."

Peggy walked towards Bill very, very slowly. If her heart had still been able to beat, it would have been pounding now. Alas, it was silent and dead, though she felt very much alive in this moment.

"Bill…"

"Yes?" Bill looked deeply into her eyes, and she stared back at him, fighting her instincts.

"Let's not make a mistake that we can't take back," she whispered.

Bill nodded. "Perhaps you should go get dressed," he said gently.

Peggy nodded. She walked past Bill, careful not to touch him, and headed into her house. It felt utterly, bitterly empty without Eric there. Part of her wanted to fly after him to Fangtasia. Part of her wanted to run back to Bill. Yet another part, a wiser part, told her that there was something else that she needed to do tonight.

She let herself dream about Bill while she was in the shower. Peggy closed her eyes, and let the water caressing her body be Bill's fingers, Bill's lips, Bill's tongue. As she soaped herself up with Eric's $45 French soap from Provence, she pretended it was Bill touching her gently, tenderly… possessively, demandingly. No, it was Eric who was possessive and demanding.

Bill was nothing like Eric.

When the shower ended, Peggy forced the fantasy to end as well. Nothing good could come of desiring Bill Compton. She dried her hair on a fluffy pink towel and told herself that tonight she was going to visit Sookie. If that didn't snap her out of this dangerous desire, nothing would.

She slipped into jeans and a Fangtasia t-shirt. It was too big and smelled like Eric, but she didn't change even when she realized the mistake. It felt good, wearing his clothing. It made her miss him. Made her feel a little guilt about lusting after Bill.

Bill was nowhere around when Peggy went downstairs. She didn't see him when she left the house, though his car was still in the yard. Sighing, Peggy decided to walk over to Sookie's. She rarely used her vampire speed, but this seemed a good enough night to run.

Running felt so good.

She arrived at Sookie's house in a few moments, but it was only when she saw the SOLD sign in the yard that she remembered that Sookie now lived at Bill's, and Bill had sold Sookie's house. Sighing, Peggy turned and ran across the cemetery to the Compton House.

Sookie Stackhouse Compton was sitting on the front porch, dressed in short jean cutoffs and a tight fitting powder blue tank top that showed off her curvy figure. Peggy admitted that she found her friend gorgeous but knew that though vampires might be sexually ambivalent, Sookie never swung in the female direction. No use of even imagining a threesome between herself and the Comptons…

Oh, Bill.

Let it go, Peggy.

"Hello, Sookie."

"Don't sneak up on me like that, Peggy," said Sookie, but she jumped up and gave her friend a hug.

Peggy hugged her back. It seemed odd, and though she wasn't sure why, something inside told her that the odd feeling was why vampires didn't generally touch humans…unless they were drinking from them. She drew in Sookie's scent, warm and intoxicating, and wondered what she would taste like. Not having a good night, Peggy thought. This was the most monster-like she had ever felt.

"How… how are you?" Peggy asked.

"Lonely," Sookie admitted. "But don't tell me I ought to talk to Bill!"

"All right," said Peggy, feeling slightly guilty at how glad Sookie not wanting to talk to Bill made her feel. "Are you… that is… do you think you'll get a divorce?"

"No," Sookie said immediately. "That is, I'm not sure."

Peggy knew the first answer was more honest. "Sookie. I know you're angry with Bill, but he did talk to you about selling the house, didn't he?"

Sookie was silent for a long moment, then nodded. "I just didn't think he'd do it. I know we don't need two houses, but it was Gran's."

"So live there and sell this one." Peggy gestured at the Compton House.

"But this was Bill's."

"Sookie!"

"I know, I know, Peggy, I'm not being rational."

"Maybe not, but the most irrational thing is not talking to Bill, shutting him out. No, don't interrupt and don't protest. Decide what it is you want, and he will give it to you. If you keep pushing him away, eventually he's going to give up!"

Sookie looked stunned. "Do you really think he'll give up?"

"Do you want him waiting around, trying to get you back over and over, declaring his love whenever you will listen, while you constantly rebuff and ignore him?" Peggy asked incredulously. "That's not fair to Bill."

Sookie was quiet for a long moment, staring at her. Peggy forced herself to keep her friend's gaze. She didn't want Sookie to suspect her own horrible crush on Bill. Sookie tilted her blonde head slightly.

"How's Eric?" she asked crisply.

Peggy sighed. "I don't know."

"So I'm not the only one with problems."

"No." Peggy sat down on the front steps on the Compton House next to Sookie. Without looking at her friend, she told Sookie the events of the previous few days. Eric's obsession with Elise. The Vamp Attract. Sam and Anne Marie working at Fangtasia. The only thing she left out was her undeniable attraction to Bill. That was her own burden, and she would fight it. She would not hurt her friend with it.

"Wow," said Sookie, after Peggy finished. "Well, I will certainly come to Fangtasia and meet this Elise. Not for Eric. Not for Bill – but for you. And I'll try to find out who set the bomb."

"Thank you, Sookie. Thank you!" said Peggy, flooded with relief.

"There's only one problem?"

"What is it?"

"I promised Sam and Anne Marie that I would baby-sit Belle tomorrow night. So I'll do it the night after. Okay?"


	18. Chapter 18

Sam knew that he really ought to tell Eric about the rotten fairy blood, but the moment to speak to the Viking vampire never arose. Even though it wasn't a busy night at Fangtasia, there were also only the three of them – Sam, Anne Marie, and Ginger – to run the drinks. After the Boudreaux brothers came through, Sam had other things on his mind besides Eric's problem. When he thought of it again, it was too late. They were in the car driving home. Anne Marie was behind the wheel of the truck tonight.

"Call him on your cell phone," Anne Marie suggested sensibly. "I already done called Sookie and asked her to keep Belle tomorrow night. She say yes."

"Oh, good," said Sam with relief. "I mean, nothing against your brothers but—"

"You ain't got to tell me anything, dawlin'," said Anne Marie. "I know what my brothers is like. I can't believe Gran-mawmaw would even ask dem!"

Sam nodded as he pulled out his phone. This was the first time that old Mrs. Boudreaux had ever suggested anything that Sam had not agreed to before. He wondered what reason she could possibly have for thinking her grandsons would make appropriate babysitters for a three year old. Then again, they had watched Anne Marie when she was little and they were just teenagers.

Glancing at his cell, Sam cursed softly.

"What?"

"I don't have Eric's number. I'll have to try Fangtasia." Sam dialed the club, but only got the answering machine. "Should I leave a message?"

"Naw. Mebbe I can get Peggy." Anne Marie took Sam's phone and hit the button, but she only got Peggy's voicemail. "Girl, you got to call me when you get up," she said. "Dis Anne Marie."

"It can wait one more night," Sam said wearily. "At least Elise didn't come in so Eric didn't drink any more of her contaminated blood."

"Ain't really contaminated to Eric," said Anne Marie thoughtfully. "Jes make him horny."

Sam chuckled. "Maybe, but that's not fair to Peggy."

"Vampires got different ideas of what fair is, dem," said Anne Marie. She frowned into the darkness and Sam wondered if she was thinking of the vampire she had once loved, Christopher Santiago. That led to him wondering how Simone was doing and whether he had gotten to Las Vegas.

"Did Sookie say if she talked to Vampire Bill yet?" Sam asked cautiously. His wife sighed ferociously.

"She say she ain't ready yet. She still mad at Bill."

"Peggy's not mad at Bill," Sam said pointedly.

"Peggy need to stop givin' Bill dem big bedroom eyes," Anne Marie agreed. "Eric like to go nuts and kill ever-one."

"Then maybe Elise is a good distraction."

"Elise who cause dis whole mess, Sam! If she not be seducin' Eric wid fairy blood, Peggy never think twice about Bill as no more than a friend," Anne Marie insisted.

"I can't think about this any more," said Sam, wincing. Anne Marie reached over and patted his knee, and they finished out the drive in companionable silence.

Gran-mawmaw shook her head ominously when Anne Marie explained that Sookie would sit with Belle the next night rather than Johnny Bob and Roget.

"Dem boys perfeckly able to watch their niece," Gran-mawmaw said.

"Sookie's a really good friend," Sam said. "We're just more comfortable with her looking after Belle."

"You don't give your brothers nuff credit, Miss Anne Marie," said Gran-mawmaw, shaking her head at her granddaughter.

"I seen Roget eat a nail!" said Anne Marie in exasperation. Her grandmother chuckled.

"He was a wild child, him."

"Dis happen last week!"

"Good teef," Gran-mawmaw said proudly. "Now don't argue wid me, I'm sendin' your brothers to sit wid Belle, even if Sookie here too."

"You really don't have to—" Sam started, but the old woman hobbled off into the darkness, calling back over her shoulder.

"Good night, Sam Merlotte!"

Sam turned to his wife, but she had a grim expression and he decided that the best move was for them to go right to bed. They could think about this later. After all, tomorrow was another day. Too tired even to make a Scarlett O'Hara joke, Sam hit the sheets and Anne Marie joined him after checking on the baby.

Sookie met them at the trailer in the late afternoon. Belle squealed with delight to see her, and this made Sam grin.

"She's crazy about you, Sookie," he said.

"I'm crazy about her, too," said Sookie, hugging the little girl. "We're going to have so much fun. I brought finger paints!"

"We gone need a new couch," Anne Marie said in a low voice, winking at Sam. "Sookie, we can't thank you nuff for doin' this."

"What 'bout us?" asked Johnny Bob and he and Roget came stropping across the parking lot. Sam saw their rusty truck parked in front of the bar.

"Oh, no," Sam muttered.

Sookie stood up straight and glared at the Boudreaux brothers. Sam recalled that a few years ago, they had kidnapped her and Peggy. "I thought you told them I was going to watch Belle," she said, sounding irritated.

"We did," said Anne Marie, sounding equally irritated.

"Oncle gator! Oncle gator!" squealed Belle. She toddled towards her two big Cajun uncles, beaming, chubby arms held up. Roget picked her up and swung her around a little too high for Sam's comfort, but to his credit, he didn't let go.

"Do you want me to go?" asked Sookie.

"No!" exclaimed Sam and Anne Marie at once.

"I am not staying here with them," Sookie said, folding her arms over her chest. "I still haven't forgotten what they did to me. And to Peggy. And to Eric!"

"Y'all have to leave," said Anne Marie, marching over to her brothers and retrieving Belle, who immediately began to fuss. "Sorry, honey, your oncles got to get back to Shreveport."

Johnny Bob looked at Roget, then back to Anne Marie and smiled a greasy, suspicious smile. "Aw right, aw right, sister. We go." The two of them backed away and headed for the truck.

"Dat almos' too easy," Anne Marie muttered. She turned and carried Belle back to the trailer. Belle pouted only for a moment, until she remembered Sookie was there. "Sook, maybe you better stay inside and play wid dem paints."

"I'll lock the door," said Sookie.

"You might could call Bill an' see if he want to sit wid you," Anne Marie wheedled.

Sookie frowned. "I'll call Peggy."

In the truck, on the way back to Fangtasia, Anne Marie sighed. "I ain't doin' so good straightening out dis mess."

"I have to make sure I tell Eric about the fairy blood tonight," said Sam, grimly determined.

It was a few minutes after dark when they turned into the Fangtasia parking lot. Anne Marie had called Sookie twice during the drive. Her brothers had not showed back up at the trailer, at least.

As Sam parked the truck, he caught a glimpse of two figures going around the corner of the building. "Did you see that?"

"Elise," said Anne Marie.

"What's she doing?"

"Buyin' drugs."

"Fuck." Sam sighed. "Come on! In the Fangtasia parking lot? Does she WANT Eric to kill her?"

"No, dat other one you said," said Anne Marie, and Sam had to think about what he had said. He shook his head. They got out of the truck and hurried around the building, but Elise was already inside. There was no sign of the person she had been talking to. Sam spotted a small vial with a few drops of red clinging to it on the ground near the door. He took a deep breath.

"Ugh!"

"Phew," said Anne Marie. "More dis rotted fairy blood."

They went in the back door, unlocked now. Before they made it out of the hallway, Pam and Pearletta were behind them. Anne Marie greeted her cousin enthusiastically, and told her in low tones about Johnny Bob and Roget showing up at the trailer.

"Still no Sookie?" asked Pam, ignoring the two Cajun women.

"She's coming tomorrow," said Sam.

"Eric will be pleased," said Pam. She herself sounded almost disappointed, as if she found Eric's annoyance more interesting.

"Listen, as soon as Eric gets here, I really need to talk to him," Sam said, "And he needs to keep away from Elise."

"Do you still suspect she is drinking vampire blood?" asked Pam.

"It's worse," said Sam. "It's fairy blood."

Pam arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "Fairy blood?"

"Yes, but the blood is—Pam?"

Pam had disappeared down the hallway into the club. Sam growled. This could not be good!


	19. Chapter 19

After leaving Sookie, Peggy spent most of the night wandering around Bon Temps. It was something of a one horse town, but there was also something charming about it. It was peaceful. She spent a few hours in the old cemetery that lay between the Compton house and Sookie's grandmother's house.

Peggy found Bill's tombstone and sat down on the ground next to it for a while, her fingers tracing idly over the carved letters. The stone felt cool and rough and inviting. She knew it was only a memorial, that Bill had never really been buried beneath it, but there was still something sad in the thought that someone, probably his first wife, had grieved for him and had set it here.

She wished that the cold rock beneath her hand was Bill's flesh, which like Eric's would be equally cold and hard and smooth. Part of her hoped that if she sat here long enough, Bill would come to her. She stayed at his gravesite for several hours, until she realized that it was after four and that Fangtasia would have closed and Eric would be on his way home. She wondered if he had seen Elise. Surely the human girl would have been delighted to catch him alone.

Peggy sighed. Maybe she should just tuck herself into the ground again tonight. Maybe she should leave for a while. She could go to New Orleans and spend some time with Christopher. She wondered again how he was, if he had recovered from his split with Simone. She felt for her cell phone and dialed his number, but it went straight to voice mail. She didn't bother leaving a message.

Trying not to think about anything, Peggy walked home.

Eric's corvette was in the driveway when she arrived, as was her white Lexus and Bill's car. She stared up at the edifice of the house, as if she could not quite bring herself to go inside. The lights were on in the living room. She wondered which one of them was in there, Bill or Eric. Maybe both.

The front door opened, and Eric stood in the doorway. He was wearing dark green pants that fit like a second skin and a silver tank top. She found it ironic that he owned anything that color, but admired the way it clung to his muscular body. He was so tall, she thought. Peggy was tall herself, but Eric made her feel almost dainty and feminine when she was beside him. Or in his lap. Or underneath him. Or on top of him…

"Margaret," said Eric, his voice rich and deep, the slight Scandinavian accent he had creeping out, "Come inside."

Peggy wanted to respond, but her voice caught in her throat. The wind lifted his long blond hair and it floated around his handsome, angular face. He didn't seem to notice. He lifted his eyebrows, and she felt the pulse of their blood bond inside her. Sometimes it was faint and weak, other times it was so strong they were like one creature. Right now she felt that he was plucking at it, strumming a string that was tightly wound inside of her with just his mind.

She took a deep breath to see if she could still smell the Vamp Attract in his blood, but it was definitely fainter tonight. He had not drunk from Elise tonight. She was certain of it. This slightly soothed her wounded pride. Eric lifted his arms to her, spreading them in supplication.

"Margaret," he said again.

She went to him. She felt as though she moved in slow motion, drifting towards Eric who waited with raw emotion written over his features. When she reached him, he drew her up against him, his body familiar and comforting against hers.

"How was Fangtasia tonight?" she asked.

"Boring," said Eric. "I missed you."

Peggy looked up into his blue eyes with her own, a slight questioning look on her face. His lips twisted in a guilty half-smile. Slowly he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her almost lazily. Yes, the barest hint of the drug Elise had bled into him was shivering there, inside him, making him more attractive than ever, but it was already fading. Her fangs sprang out immediately and he ran his tongue over them carefully, not cutting himself either accidentally or on purpose.

"I want to taste you, Eric."

"Not yet," he said.

Peggy's eyes flashed angrily, and she pushed past him into the house. She caught a glimpse of Bill reading a book in the living room as she went upstairs to the bedroom she shared with Eric. Maybe she was being childish, or unfair, but she hated that he denied her.

Even if it might be for his own safety.

Eric was sitting on the bed naked when she entered the room. Peggy rolled her eyes. He had to show off how much older, stronger, faster he was. She really wasn't in the mood for this. She picked up her nightgown from where it had been tossed on a chair a few nights earlier and went into the bathroom to change.

When she reemerged, Eric hadn't moved. He was simply looking at her curiously. Peggy walked around the bed and got in the other side, as far away from Eric as she could get, and pulled the covers up to her chin.

Eric rolled over, lying on top of the covers right next to her. He stretched out languidly and smiled at her, looking fondly amused, which only made Peggy more annoyed. With a big hand, he reached out and stroked her long, blonde hair, twining it around his fingers.

Peggy closed her eyes and ignored him. Eric tugged on her hair gently. She opened her eyes and glared at him. He simply continued to smile, though he left off pulling her hair. She squinched her eyes shut. He tugged again, not hurting her, but more insistent.

"Eric, stop that," she snapped.

"Open your eyes, sweetheart."

"I'm sleeping."

"You can't go to sleep until the sun rises in two hours," he replied sensibly.

Peggy opened her eyes. "I'm practicing!"

Eric roared with laughter and slowly unwound his fingers from her hair. He bent and kissed the corner of her mouth. This drove her crazy, and he knew it. She always felt like she had just barely tasted something wonderful and it had slipped away. Usually when he did this, she grabbed his chin and kissed him senseless. Now, she simply lay still.

"Don't you want to make love to me?" he purred in her ear.

"No."

"Is it because I will not let you bite me?"

"No. I'm just not in the mood."

"Margaret, you are always in the mood. It is something we have in common, especially when we are alone together."

Peggy sighed. He was right, of course. The mind-blowing sex they had together was part of their bond. Oh, there was much more to it than that, but the sex was damn-near addictive… more addictive than the Vamp Attract.

She wondered what the hell was in it.

Hell with it, she thought, and she wound her arms around Eric's neck and kissed him. The fangs clashed together and his tongue found hers. Before the kiss ended, he had her out of the nightgown and on top of the covers with him with no idea how he had managed to get her into that state.

It took all of her self control not to bite him when they came together, their bodies joining artfully in the carnal dance they seemed destined to perform with one another night after night for all eternity. When he sank his fangs into her throat, she cried out. Blood tears stained her face, and Eric licked them away.

"I love you, Margaret," he whispered. "Always you, only you. No human can take me from you. I swear. I promise."

How she had longed to hear such words. She had ached for them, and now he was giving them to her freely, with no prompting. He knew she needed to hear it, and though it was not his style to make declarations of love, he did it now for her, and sincerely.

"I'm sorry I was jealous," she murmured.

"Nothing to be sorry for. You will be jealous again, and I will always forgive you."

Peggy laughed, a combination of hysterical relief and bitter frustration. "Yes," she said, "I suppose I will be."

"I will be jealous, too," he said, and a pulse of guilt flooded her for her recently fascination with Bill Compton. She knew, however, that the kindness Eric was showing her now was a reminder of the true heart she knew he possessed, even when he acted like, well, an asshole. "You are MINE, Margaret. Mine."

They passed the day wound together in each other's arms. When the sun set, they made love again. And again. And then in the shower, once more in the bed, and a second time in the shower before tearing away from each other and searching out some clothing. While Eric brushed her hair, Peggy checked the messages on her cell phone. There was one from Anne Marie, and one from Sookie.

"Sookie is babysitting Belle Merlotte tonight," she told Eric.

"So she will not be coming to help us at Fangtasia," Eric said, frowning.

"She said she'd come tomorrow. She asks me to come and stay with her while she keeps Belle," said Peggy, still listening to Sookie's long-winded message. "Something about the Boudreaux brothers and alligators outside the Merlottes' trailer."

"I suppose you better go," said Eric. "You are certain she will come tomorrow?"

"She said she would," said Peggy.

She hit the button on the phone to hear the next message and reminded herself to call Anne Marie after Eric left. Unfortunately, Peggy completely forgot. She headed out the door to meet Sookie.

She never expected to find Christopher Santiago sitting on the front step of Sam's trailer.


	20. Chapter 20

"Pam! No! Please!"

Sam heard Ginger's yell as he and Anne Marie raced down the hallway into the main bar area of Fangtasia. He felt only a flutter of air as Pearletta shot past them at vampire speed. They screeched to a halt and Sam saw that Pearletta held Ginger by the wrist, holding her back from Pam. Though Pearletta had on a long, lacy black dress – her Fangtasia "uniform" – Ginger was still wearing cut off jean shorts and a tank top with the Fangtasia logo on it. She had not changed for work yet. A broom and dustpan lay on the floor by her feet.

The club was not open, but rather than the regular house lights, it was dimly lit, mostly with red lights that pulsed softly for ambience. A radio was playing somewhere in the background, but Sam barely registered the song. A small spotlight had been set up to highlight Eric's throne, but the antique chair sat empty.

Pam had Elise pushed back on top of a table. She was holding the girl down by half-lying on top of her, her white fingers wound tightly in Elise's dark hair, pulling her head roughly to the side to expose her throat. Pam drew in a deep, shuddering breath as she inhaled the scent of the fairy blood, then licked the slender column of flesh, her fangs glinting ferociously under the red lights. Before Sam could utter a word, before there was any chance to stop her, Pam ripped into Elise's throat. Elise cried out in pain, her face twisting in a mask of agony. The smell of her blood was nauseating to Sam, like a sewer or wet garbage. That Pam could drink it was difficult to comprehend.

"No," Elise moaned. "I belong to Eric."

Pam swallowed audibly, lifted her head, chuckled. "I think not."

"Pam, her blood is contaminated!" Sam said, though he didn't quite have the nerve to get close enough to pull her away.

"Her blood… is delicious," said Pam, and she bent to drink again. Elise struggled and fought and moaned, but she wasn't strong enough to fight off the vampire.

"Pearletta, you got to stop her," Anne Marie urged her cousin, the only one who might be strong enough to face the blood-crazed Pam. Pearletta dropped Ginger's wrist and took a step towards Pam and Elise, but then she swayed on her feet.

"Dat smell so good," she whispered.

"They're gonna get blood all over my nice clean floor," Ginger grumbled. "Pam, we need that girl – we're still short staffed."

"Don't do it, Pearletta," said Sam, but Pearletta was drifting closer and closer to the bleeding human. "Pam, you've got to stop!"

Anne Marie suddenly turned away. She looked slightly green, and Sam knew his wife was ill. "Sam—"

"No! No!" Ginger cried, and she managed to get Anne Marie a bucket before she hurled up the contents of her stomach.

"We saw her buying drugs in the parking lot!" Sam hollered at Pam, even as he turned to rub Anne Marie's back. Anne Marie trembled and clung to Sam, and he held her gently while Ginger hauled off the bucket.

Pam lifted her head, but now Pearletta ripped into the vein in Elise's thigh, shoving up her short black dress to expose her pale legs. One of Elise's high heels had fallen to the floor and sat forlornly in a small pool of her blood that had dripped from her savaged throat. Her struggles were growing weaker and weaker.

"What kind of drugs are you on?" Pam asked.

"It's called Night's Allure," Elise whispered. "Eric told me not to take Vamp Attract…"

"It's the same as whatever she took before," Sam insisted. "It's rotten fairy blood."

"Fairy blood, that's what this drug is?" Pam clarified.

"Yes," said Sam. "But it's gone bad."

"Don't taste so bad," said Pearletta, lifting her chin. Rivulets of red stained her lips and teeth.

"Fairy blood is a treat for us, shifter," said Pam.

"I'm trying to help you!" Sam insisted.

"I got to sit down," said Anne Marie. She stumbled across the room and collapsed into a chair. Sam wanted to go to her side, but he knew that the moment he stopped arguing with the two vampires, Elise would die. "Tell Pam to search the parking lot for the drug dealer."

Pam tilted her head. "The dealer would have more of this fairy blood," she said sensibly. "Pearletta, let go of this girl and come with me."

The two of them disappeared in a blood-thirsty streak. Ginger had not returned from getting rid of the sick bucket, Elise lay on the table, gasping and bleeding. Sam hurried over to Anne Marie.

"We got to get her out of here before dey come back, Sam," Anne Marie said. She got to her feet somewhat unsteadily, but grabbed Sam's hand and pulled her back towards the wounded waitress.

"You're a werewolf," Elise gasped at Sam.

"I'm insulted," said Sam, but he reached for her anyway. He had to bind her neck and stop the bleeding.

"Don't touch me, you filthy cur! Where's Eric? He will give me his blood. He will save me." Elise coughed and blood spattered her lips.

"It too late for her," said Anne Marie, but she sounded more disgusted than grieved.

She was going to die, then. Sam squared his shoulders. "Elise," he said, "Did you set the bomb that went off in here the other night?"

"No," the girl gasped, her breath more and more shallow, and the smell of her more and more like death. "I just did the sprinklers… she promised it wouldn't hurt Eric. That he'll like… the surprise."

"Did what to de sprinklers?" Anne Marie asked. She had recovered from her sickness but had begun to mask her nose with her hand.

Elise drew in a rattling grasp, and then she fell still. A moment later, Pam was back, looking angry.

"No drug dealer to be found," she said. "And now the rest of this one is wasted." She bent her head and licked at Elise's throat, but wrinkled her nose. "They never taste quite right after they die."

"Where's Pearletta?" ask Anne Marie.

"Still checking the parking lot."

Sam stared at the dead girl and felt a twinge of pity. Sure, Elise had been rude, snobby, and the worst waitress Sam had ever seen, but he would never have wished such a fate on her.

"You better check the sprinkler system," Sam said.

"I have to get rid of this first," said Pam pragmatically. She lifted up Elise and draped her over her shoulder. A trickle of blood ran over the white flesh bared by her sleeveless dress. "GINGER! I need you to mop up in here!"

Pam carried her victim away, and Ginger came back into the bar, sighing and clucking her tongue. She got to work immediately, but then looked over at Sam and Anne Marie who stood together silently.

"Y'all better start your prep work," she said. "We're more busy on Tuesdays than on Mondays, and we're down a waitress again. I don't know what we'll do tomorrow…"

"We have Sookie tomorrow," said Anne Marie, sounding faint.

"Oh, good," Ginger replied cheerfully.

Sam looked at his wife. "You okay, Anne Marie?"

Anne Marie nodded. "M'fine."

"We can go home if you want," Sam said, lowering his voice so Ginger wouldn't hear.

"No," said Anne Marie. She shook her head, her red curls bouncing around her freckled face. "Got to look after Pearletta. And Miss Pam, for dat matter. Dat blood gone make dem extra wild tonight."

"What blood?" asked Eric, strolling into the club. Dressed in a black suit with a red shirt, he matched his bar perfectly. His blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. He took a deep breath, then his expression turned fearsome. "Where is Pam?"

"She went to bury Elise," Sam said sharply. Eric raised an eyebrow, then nodded slightly as if this didn't bother him in the least. Somehow Sam knew that Eric would prefer to berate his underling in private. "Where is Peggy?"

"Margaret went to spend the evening with Sookie, and your daughter," Eric said. Sam found himself filled with a profound relief. He looked at Anne Marie and saw that she felt the same.

"Peggy never call me back," Anne Marie mumbled.

"Eric," Sam said, "You need to know that Elise was drinking rotten fairy blood. That is what attracted you to her."

"She had more," Eric said thoughtfully, "Even when I expressly told her not to. I suppose she deserved what happened to her."

"You can't blame Pam, you," said Anne Marie. "She couldn't not resist dat stinky stuff no more'n you could."

"Perhaps not." He paused. "It did not taste rotten."

"I'm going to check the sprinkler system," said Sam, tired of the whole subject. "But you better hope Pearletta finds the one selling this stuff, or its just going to keep turning up in your club. Every fangbanger for miles will be using it."

"You have a point," Eric said, then he frowned. "Why do you need to check the sprinkler system, Sam?"


	21. Chapter 21

"Hello, my darling," said Christopher Santiago, lifting his top hat to Peggy. He sat on the front step of Sam Merlotte's trailer, looking out of place in his evening clothes. His dark hair fell in shiny waves around his sharp-featured, intelligent face and his expression was wily enough to make her wary of this trickster vampire who had kept her from death by giving her his blood.

"Sookie wouldn't let you in?" Peggy asked.

Christopher sighed dramatically. "The waitress does not trust me."

"She's wise," said Peggy. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you."

"Really. Then why didn't you come to my house?"

"I knew you would be here."

"And how did you know that, Christopher?"

"We have a bond, pretty Margaret. You know that."

Peggy laughed and shook her head. "You never change. How are you? You haven't answered my calls in a year."

"I know. I'm very sorry," said Christopher, not sounding terribly sorry at all. "I was depressed."

"And now? Are you over Simone?"

"I suppose I still hope he will talk to me."

"He's not here." Anne Marie had told Peggy that her brother had moved on to Las Vegas.

Christopher's lips twisted in a pout. "He was. I know he was."

Peggy nodded. She felt sorry for him, in a way. She knew that Christopher loved deeply, but his wild and wily ways often caused his lovers to abandon him. They just didn't understand him, she thought. She did… but her heart belonged to Eric. Peggy beamed as it came to her. Eric. She did love Eric. Nothing had changed. Her feelings for Bill… well, although under other circumstances it might have blossomed into something real, Eric had proved himself to her. He still wanted her, still loved her.

"Will you follow him?"

"You mean, if you tell me where he went?"

"Yes," Peggy said shortly, though she wasn't sure she meant to do so. Christopher nodded.

"I suppose that would be foolish. I ought to let him go. After all, I have eternity for him to return."

"Will he?"

"Sometimes they do."

"Christopher."

"All right. I suppose I shouldn't expect him to." He sighed. "It just seemed different with Simone. I thought I had done everything right this time. And I thought… he had accepted me as I am."

Had they been human, Peggy would have hugged him. She felt pity for him in that moment.

"I accept you as you are," she said shortly.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly. "You always did. But even though you are my blood, you were never mine. I don't care to fight the Viking for you, especially when I know you belong with the big lug."

Peggy couldn't help but smile. "Do I?"

"Yes. However, we have more to deal with now than your angsty heart."

"Such as?" Peggy had an idea, of course, but she wanted to know what Christopher knew.

"A mad bomber at Fangtasia."

"What do you know about that?"

"You'll be surprised!"

"Fantastic. Tell me."

"There's more…"

"Is there?"

"There are two large alligators in the grass behind the trailer."

Peggy laughed. "I'm not surprised."

"Shifters, then."

"Are you reading my mind?" she asked.

"If only I could. I know this is Puss's trailer. Her whole family travels on four legs. But gators? How déclassé."

"I wouldn't let her hear you say that, Christopher."

He laughed. "I suppose not. Anyway, they won't eat the baby, I would fathom. Or Madame Compton."

"No," said Peggy, "But they might take a chomp at you."

"I am delicious," Christopher admitted.

"I don't doubt it." Peggy had had enough banter. She brushed past him and knocked on the door to the trailer. Sookie yanked it open.

"You can come in," she told Peggy as Santiago stood up. "He can't."

"He won't harm anyone," Peggy said and Christopher attempted to look harmless.

"Sorry," said Sookie. Peggy shrugged as she followed her friend inside, leaving her maker on the porch. Sookie closed the door in his face. Peggy winced as she felt his irritation. "I don't trust him."

"Nobody does," said Peggy, "Do you know there are two alligators behind the trailer?"

"Yes," said Sookie, "Anne Marie's brothers."

"Sookie, Christopher knows who bombed Fangtasia."

"Well, who was it?"

"He didn't tell me. Can we let him in?"

Sookie opened the door again. Christopher was leaning against the door frame, looking annoyed. "Who set the bomb?"

"How's Bill?" Christopher asked.

Sookie slammed the door again. Peggy shook her head. "Sookie!"

"Well…"

"Well. I need to know who set the bomb and stop them before they hurt Eric. You need to talk to Bill before you lose him. Christopher needs to get over Simone Boudreaux. And those gators need to go home."

"That about sums it up," Sookie agreed.

"How's Belle?"

"She's fine. Sleeping."

"Good. Can we let Christopher in? It's going to take a lot of wheedling now to get him to tell me who set the damn bomb."

Sookie considered. "I'm not sure Sam or Anne Marie would want to give him access to their house. Let's go sit on the porch and talk."

Peggy nodded. "All right."

She opened the door again. Christopher had a girl on his lap, and was kissing her fiercely. She had long, rippling dark hair and smelled like honey. She wore a brown pantsuit that looked expensive, but her clothes were only a footnote. Peggy's fangs sprang out at the scent of her.

"If you bring the baby out to see me, you can taste me," the girl whispered to Christopher, but the words didn't escape Peggy's sharp hearing.

"Try and stop me," Christopher growled.

"Oh, I can stop you. I can stop you dead."

"Who the hell are you?" Sookie demanded.

The girl slithered off of Santiago's lap and stood up. She bowed to Peggy and Sookie. "My name is Caroline. Why don't you bring little Belle out to see me?"

"Can I taste you if I do?" Peggy asked, intrigued.

"Of course."

"Peggy, no! What are you doing?" Sookie demanded. "We're not bringing Belle out to meet a stranger!"

"She's a fairy," said Christopher. He reached for Caroline but she chuckled and moved away.

"You need to leave," Sookie told Caroline.

"Make me," Caroline simpered. She laughed again, and Peggy found herself laughing as well. Christopher laughed along with them. She smelled so yummy, Peggy thought. Even better than that bitch, Elise.

A low rumble echoed through the yard. Peggy had never heard such a noise before, but it was easy to connect it to where it had come from. Two alligators over ten feet in length slithered into the yard. The fairy's eyes grew round. She took a few steps backwards, stumbling slightly.

"Bad dogs!" she squealed.

The gators began to move faster, and the fairy turned and ran. Peggy had never known how fast gators could move, but she learned now, and quite honestly, she was impressed. The girl disappeared into the woods and the gators followed. A moment later, Christopher shook his head, and Peggy felt her mind clear. She realized then how much like drugs fairies were to them, to vampires.

"I wasn't really going to give her the baby," Christopher said to Sookie, spreading his hands and smiling benevolently. Sookie slapped him across the face. "Well, it was her who set the bomb," Christopher said, rubbing his cheek. This time, Peggy slapped him, and he went flying backwards off of the porch into the dirt.

Somehow his top hat stayed on.


	22. Chapter 22

"I do not see anything wrong with it."

"It doesn't appear to have been tampered with," Sam agreed. He and Eric stood together staring up at the ceiling at the main valve of the fire safety system. "Let's check the main pipe."

"Sam," Eric said gravely, "The sprinkler system is… very important. Vampires are extremely flammable."

"So are humans," Sam pointed out, but Eric looked less concerned with that idea. The Viking vampire followed Sam to a maze of exposed pipes in the back hallway. He took a deep breath and caught the faint odor of rotten fairy blood, Elise's scent. Yet the pipes were intact and unscathed. "Do you know what kind of system this is?"

Eric blinked. "The most expensive one available."

"I think you better have a professional plumber come look at it."

"I will put in a call," the vampire replied, and stalked off presumably to do so.

Once the bar was open Sam didn't have any more time to think about the sprinklers. Ginger wasn't kidding, Tuesdays at the vampire bar were hopping.

Luckily, nothing went wrong. Nothing caught on fire, thus necessitating the sprinklers. No one Sam knew came into the bar. Anne Marie and Ginger handled the tables with efficiency. No fights broke out. No complaints were registered. He didn't know what Eric said to Pam about Elise, but he figured that the less he knew, the better. What if the girl had family who came looking for her?

"Almost time to go," Anne Marie said wearily when the bar was finally closed. "Jes a lil cleaning up."

"Oh, y'all go ahead," Ginger said cheerfully. "I'll finish up."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Sam asked.

"Not at all. Seems like there's much less to clean without Elise here."

"Ain't nobody gone miss dat girl," Anne Marie said sympathetically as they headed to the back door.

"I hope not," Sam muttered.

The door to Eric's office was open as they passed and Sam could see the blond vampire behind his desk, Pam standing beside him, her head bent over whatever paperwork they were discussing. Eric looked up as they passed and made a motion for them to come in. Anne Marie made a small, impatient noise, but Sam complied and she followed him.

"Did you ever call the plumber?" Sam asked, suddenly remembering.

"One will be here tomorrow," said Eric.

"Oh, good. Well, good night, then."

"Do you know any fairies, Sam?" Eric asked quietly.

"Aw, come on, Eric! Are you still trying to get more fairy blood? The stuff Elise was drinking was rancid, and—"

"Sam," Eric interrupted, "A fairy set off the bomb the other night."

"Seriously?" Sam's jaw dropped. Eric nodded.

"Do you know any?"

Sam tilted his head. "Not personally, no."

"Anyone named Caroline?"

"We don't know no Caroline," Anne Marie said thoughtfully. "M'sure of it."

"Then perhaps you had best get home," said Eric. "She went to your house tonight and demanded to see your child."

"What? What happened?" Anne Marie demanded.

"Margaret just called me. She and Sookie and your brothers have been guarding the child all night. The baby is safe."

Sam felt a flood of guilt for having not wanted the Boudreaux brothers around his child. He looked at Anne Marie and she put a hand on his arm. He knew she understood.

"We call Peggy on the way back," said Anne Marie. "Let's go."

"Thank you, Eric," Sam said automatically. "Good night. Good night, Pam." He grabbed his wife's hand and they headed down the hall at a clip.

"By the way," Eric called after them, "Santiago is at your trailer as well."

Anne Marie skidded to a halt and Sam almost bumped into her. "Did he say dat damn Christopher Santiago at our place?"

"And a fairy who wants to steal our baby," Sam reminded her, moving her along. "A fairy who set off a bomb at Fangtasia."

"Why a fairy want Belle, Sam?"

"I don't know, honey, but no one is going to take her from us. I swear to you."

He drove home at highly illegal speeds, while Anne Marie talked to both Peggy and Sookie on the phone. Despite their reassurances that Belle was fine, both Merlottes were anxious to get to their daughter.

"Johnny Bob and Roget, dey went gator an' chased off dat fairy," Anne Marie told him, sounding proud.

"Gran-mawmaw was wise to send them, after all," Sam admitted.

Dawn was two hours away by Sam's estimation, so he wasn't surprised to find vampires sitting on his front porch. In fact, Sam admitted, he was somewhat relieved. If anyone could keep fairies away, vampires could. Well, them and apparently alligators. It was slightly odd to see Bill Compton and Christopher Santiago chatting away like good friends, however, though they both fell silent when the truck pulled up and Sam and Anne Marie tumbled out.

"Sookie would not invite us in," said Bill, looking somewhat embarrassed. Before Sam could reply, the two Boudreaux brothers came walking around from the back of the trailer. Sam would have almost been glad to see them if they weren't stark naked. Their lack of clothing didn't stop Anne Marie from running over and hugging both of them.

"Sookie told me what you done," she said gratefully.

"Jes sorry we din catch dat fairy," sighed Roget.

"I searched the area," Bill added. "There was no sign of her."

Sam nodded his thanks as Peggy opened the door. Sookie stood just behind her, holding Belle, who was wide awake and happy as a clam. Anne Marie dashed up the porch and took their daughter, her green eyes shining. Sam noticed that Sookie pointedly avoided looking at Bill. Peggy caught Bill's eye and smiled sadly. He nodded to her. Sam wondered if it was his imagination, or if the desire that had been raging between the two of them had dimmed.

"Okay," said Anne Marie breathing deeply, "Okay. Sookie, Peggy, I 'preciate all you done."

"Who will stay with Belle tomorrow night?" Peggy asked.

"We'll stay home," Sam said instantly.

"No," said Anne Marie, and Sam knew from the tone of her voice that she had a plan of some sort. Certainly she didn't care whether Fangtasia was short-staffed or not. "My gran-mawmaw, and de boys watch Belle tomorrow." Anne Marie looked at her brothers, who were grinning proudly. "You two go put on some clothes and git on home. I see you tomorrow." Johnny Bob and Roget strolled off unhurriedly as Anne Marie looked at Bill, then Sookie. "Sookie, I tink you better let Bill escort you home."

"I—" Sookie began to protest but Anne Marie held up a hand.

"For safety," she insisted. Sookie considered this for a long moment, then looked at Bill, her face a hard mask of anger.

"Sookie," Bill implored. "I cancelled the sale of the house. It's still yours, if you want it."

"Well, I appreciate that, Bill, but that's not the point," Sookie insisted. "You sold it without telling me."

"Sookie, we discussed—"

"I am not going to talk about this here in front of our friends," said Sookie shortly. She glanced at Anne Marie, who put her hands on her hips. "You can escort me home."

"I would be glad to." Despite his wife's snappishness, Bill looked both thrilled and relieved that Sookie had accepted his company and the two of them walked to his car, still arguing. Anne Marie turned to Christopher.

"You go on back to New Orleans. Nothin' for you here, Santiago."

"I'm glad to see you, too, Puss."

"You de las' ting I need right now."

"I think you need my help," Christopher insisted.

"You never did tell us how you knew that the fairy had set the bomb," Peggy said pointedly.

"That's because you decided to knock me down the stairs," Christopher replied, smiling sweetly.

"You deserved it."

"Maybe," Santiago conceded.

"At leas' she din try to chop your head off," said Anne Marie. She bounced Belle on her hip. The little girl squealed happily.

"I might, if you do not answer the question," said Eric, appearing out of the darkness. Peggy's face lit up when she saw him, but she held herself back. Eric looked at her and winked, but then turned back to Santiago with a sharp glare.

"You are the most hostile group of people I have ever met," said Santiago in exasperation. "All right, well, maybe the second most hostile, but, really. After all we've been through together, you all ought to know by now that I'm reliable."

Nobody seemed to agree with him.

"Perhaps if you would care to tell us what you know, we might be a bit more inclined to believe that," said Eric.

Sam was definitely on the same page with the Viking.


	23. Chapter 23

"I know that Caroline set the bomb at Fangtasia because she set the one that caused Bloody Mary's to burn down," Christopher Santiago sighed. His bar in New Orleans had gone up in flames a few years ago.

"If she burned down your bar, then why were you kissing her?" Peggy asked, feeling exasperated.

"Ten more seconds, Margaret, and you'd have been kissing her, too."

"Really," said Eric, arching a blond eyebrow. If Peggy had been human, she would have blushed, though she didn't think Christopher's assessment of her was fair or even correct.

"Oh, I would not have!"

"You smelled her," Christopher pointed out. "Hard to resist, isn't it?" He looked at Eric. "Even when it's rotten."

"How can you tell when the blood is spoiled?" Eric asked. "Elise smelled absolutely wonderful."

Not exactly what Peggy wanted to hear, and she glared viciously at Eric. Anne Marie stood on tiptoe and whispered in Peggy's ear.

"Elise is dead."

The thrill of satisfaction that went through Peggy at this revelation should have been laden with guilt, but it wasn't. That simply proved to her how much of a monster she had become, she supposed. She drifted to Eric's side, slipped her arm through his, pressed against him. It was more than satisfaction, she discovered. It was sheer delight. But she couldn't look back at Anne Marie. She didn't want to know her friend's reaction to this dark side of her.

"Rotten fairy blood smells awful to us," Sam said slowly.

"Oh, it smells good to me, too," said Christopher to Eric, "But honestly, if you don't drink it straight from the source, it's gone bad. Fairy blood rots faster than a catfish flopping on a dock in the Louisiana afternoon sun."

"Too bad you ain't seen the Louisiana afternoon sun lately," Anne Marie mumbled.

"Or ever, for that matter," Christopher said, blowing a kiss at her. "I was never here as a human."

"It's hard to believe you was ever human, you," said Anne Marie.

"I know, isn't it?" Christopher responded cheerfully.

Anne Marie and Sam both glared at him, and Peggy wondered why he enjoyed being so, well, annoying. It certainly didn't add to his popularity. Maybe she shouldn't have slapped him, she thought, but he annoyed her as much as he annoyed everyone else, at times. In fact, the only one she had ever known whose skin he couldn't get under was Godric.

The thought of her lost lover, Eric's maker, still prickled just a bit, but the pain was not nearly as raw as it had once been. Peggy and Eric rarely even spoke of Godric any more, but she knew he was often in both of their thoughts. She often wondered what Godric would think of what she had become. He would have known how to deal with the fairy, she thought. She bet he even could have resisted the pull of fairy blood.

Of course, Godric had never even told her that fairies existed before, and she had never met one. Based on the events of this week, she could see why this had very likely been for the best.

"What does this Caroline want?" Eric asked, interrupting the banter between the shifter and the trickster. "Why try to take this child?"

"She does look delicious," Christopher commented and Peggy thought he might get slapped for the third time that night. "I am kidding, Puss! Retract your claws and call off your guard dog."

"Why bomb Fangtasia?" Eric said, raising his voice just a little bit to cut off Christopher.

"The ways of fairies are mysterious," Christopher replied, shrugging. "However, I certainly am not averse to making her disappear."

Eric nodded in agreement. His fingers twined idly in Peggy's hair, though he was lost in thought. Sam, however, was frowning.

"Surely we can reason with her," he said. Eric and Christopher exchanged a look.

"We have some time to come up with a plan," Eric said, but Peggy knew him well enough to know what that meant, and that he already had one.

"Good. We goin' to bed," said Anne Marie. "It way past time for Belle to lie down." She nodded good-night to Peggy and Sam gave a brief wave before they closed the door to the trailer, leaving the three vampires alone on the porch.

"Let's go home, Margaret," said Eric, turning away and taking her hand.

"Do you need somewhere to spend the day?" Peggy asked Christopher. Eric made an exasperated sound.

"Why, I would be delighted to be your guest!" Santiago bowed low, a mocking gesture in his top hat and tails.

"What about Bill?" Eric asked Peggy. "He is already our guest."

"We have plenty of room, Eric," Peggy said sweetly. "Besides, Bill may very well stay home with Sookie."

"Would you like to bet on that?" Eric asked, smirking slightly and arching his eyebrow.

"No," Peggy replied sourly, mostly because part of her still had a lingering fascination with Bill Compton. He was like a dessert that had been sliced up and served to her on a plate, but she had never gotten to taste. "Do come with us, Christopher."

The three of them began the walk from Merlotte's to Eric and Peggy's house. They could have done it in seconds if they had used their vampire speed, but as all three were feeling thoughtful (from what Peggy could surmise) the slower pace made it easier to talk.

"So the plan is, kill her on sight," said Christopher.

"Yes," said Eric.

"But you told Sam—"

"It is the best solution, Margaret," said Eric. "Fairies are delicious, but the bad ones are extremely dangerous."

"Was that your solution for Elise?" Peggy asked, feeling a bit piqued.

"Actually, Pam killed Elise," said Eric quite calmly. He did not seem to care much that he had lost his toy, and that soothed Peggy's ruffled feathers, but she found herself slightly disappointed.

"Pam killed her, not you?"

Eric stopped walking and looked at her. "Would you have had me slaughter her to curry your favor?"

"I would have," said Christopher, but for the moment they both ignored him.

"Why did Pam kill her?" Peggy asked, mostly to avoid answering Eric's question. She was afraid that she would not approve of her own answer.

"Pam has less self control than I do," Eric said evenly.

"I've always liked Pam," Peggy said tersely.

Eric tossed back his blond head and laughed. "Margaret, you do delight me," he said, sounding suspiciously like Christopher. "I will admit that I was becoming addicted to Elise's blood. You know how it affected you when you tasted it in mine. Had you tasted her, you would have done the same as Pam."

"Elise said she bought the Vamp Attract in a store in New Orleans," Peggy said thoughtfully, pushing her pride out of the way. "Eric, there are very few vampires as old and with as much self-control as you—" she tried not to sound sarcastic when she said that, "—so everyone who takes the stuff is in danger of being torn apart by the first vampire they encounter."

Eric's blue eyes widened. "I had better call Sophie-Anne," he said.

"She already knows," said Christopher, buffing his nails on the sleeve of his coat. He met Eric's eyes with his own dark gaze. "That stuff has been confiscated in shops all over New Orleans. Warnings have been issued. Anyone who takes it knows what they are getting into."

"Do people know what's in it?" Peggy asked skeptically.

"Oh, no," said Christopher. "Fairies do not wish their existence known about any more than the werewolves and shifters do. They have actually been extremely cooperative in the retrieval of the blood."

"Fairies have been working with the queen?" Eric asked.

"Yes, though they have not been meeting with her in person," Christopher said, laughing in his nasal way. "I suppose we can excuse them for that."

"So what's the deal with this Caroline?" Peggy asked, wishing that Christopher wasn't so close-mouthed with this information earlier. She had every intention of relaying it to Sam and Anne Marie, and Sookie and Bill for that matter.

"She is a trouble-maker," Christopher replied simply.

"A kindred spirit of yours, then," Eric said darkly.

"In a way, yes," said Christopher, "Alas, she has signed her own death warrant. If we do not kill her, her own kind will."

"So why not just leave it to them?" asked Eric.

"The longer she runs around causing mischief, the more vampire bars may get blown up," Peggy pointed out.

"Or burned down," added Christopher. "We are best taking care of this matter ourselves. Besides, not many fairies want to come up to Shreveport, or down to New Orleans. They know this whole state is infested with vampires."

"Infested?" Peggy said, arching an eyebrow. "That's an interesting choice of words."

Christopher laughed again and kept on laughing as they walked up to Eric and Peggy's house. Peggy wondered if Bill would be there, and chided herself for hoping that he might. There was no sign of him, however. The house was dark and silent.


	24. Chapter 24

"I hate sleeping during the day," Sam told Anne Marie when they both awoke during the mid-afternoon. His wife's red curls tumbled about her freckled face and her green eyes were still misty with sleep.

"We ain't vampires, us," she mumbled, then yawned and stretched. Sam enjoyed the sight of her lithe body moving beneath the sheet. His fingers crept beneath the material to touch her gently and she gasped. "Naughty…"

Sam took half an hour to show her how naughty he was. He thought he proved himself fairly well. Afterwards, Anne Marie kissed his mouth sweetly and slipped from the bed. Sam sadly watched her body disappear under a fluffy white bathrobe as she went to check on Belle.

Anne Marie's scream made him rocket out of the bed. Without bothering to grab any clothing, Sam hurried to the little bedroom where Belle's crib was. Nothing in the room seemed to be amiss, except that the baby was missing.

"Sam! Dat fairy! She come for Belle when we was sleepin', I know it!"

"No!" Sam yelped, as if denial could make their daughter reappear, but of course, it didn't help. Anne Marie tore out of the trailer, flinging the door wide open and hurling herself outside.

Quickly Sam changed into his dog form and took a deep sniff. He could more easily track both Belle and the fairy this way, and he could run faster, too. Trouble was, though his daughter's unique, sweet baby smell permeated the trailer, he did not catch a hint of fairy. Sam the Collie trotted out of the trailer just in time to hear his wife breath a sigh of relief.

Sitting on the front porch feeding Belle some Cheerios was Gran-mawmaw Boudreaux. Belle was clean and wearing a sweet little pink dress with a kitty print. Her golden-red hair, the same color as Sam's, fluffed around her chubby cheeks. Sam was filled with joy at the sight of her, as he always was.

"Woof!"

Gran-mawmaw regarded Anne Marie calmly. The old woman was dressed in a dark green cotton sundress patterned with flowers that revealed her wrinkled arms and shoulders. The dress looked ancient but well cared for. She also had a boxy little hat perched on her gray hair and Sam thought he detected a hint of lipstick.

"No fairy gone take dis baby," she told Anne Marie. "An dis chile can't sleep all day like you two. Thank the Lord you be done wid dis vamper bar by de end of de week. I love keepin' Belle, but a body got other tings to do."

"I wish you'd tole us you were here," Anne Marie snapped. "Plumb scared t'life out of me!"

"Watch your tone, missy," Gran-mawmaw cautioned. She looked over at Sam. "Good afternoon, Sam Merlotte. You lookin' awfully furry today." She chuckled, and Sam turned back into a human. Belle squealed with delight and clapped her hands. Gran-mawmaw looked Sam over for a beat longer than necessary. "Go put some pants on," she suggested.

"Gran-mawmaw, why a fairy want Belle?" Anne Marie asked as Sam went back in to get dressed. If the old woman had an answer, Sam never heard it. He came back out as quickly as he could to find that Gran-mawmaw had given Anne Marie a large burlap sack full of lemons. She was cutting one up with a paring knife and slipping the wedges into the little pockets of Belle's dress. Belle immediately pulled one out to examine it. She took a bite and screwed up her face at the sour taste.

"Yuck!" she said, and that amused her, so she said it over and over again. Sam grinned.

"Lemons is poison to fairies," Gran-mawmaw said sensibly. "Simple as dat. Sam, you put a lemon in EVER drink you serve at Fangtasia tonight, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"'Ceptin' True Bloods, of course. Dat not necessary. But ever human in dat club need to drink lemon. If dey on dat fairy blood, it make dem sick. Dey go home, and dey don't get eaten by no vamper."

"Are you sure we shouldn't just stay home tonight?" Sam asked both women thoughtfully. "I'm going to worry all night."

"Nothin' to worry about, Sam," Gran-mawmaw said gently. "I make your trailer so safe no fairy could get in. Plus, de boys swing by tonight and check on their ol' Gran-maw. You need to get dem lemons to Fangtasia."

"Besides, Eric ain't got no one but us," said Anne Marie. "I wonder if Sookie comin' to work tonight."

"He's got Ginger," Sam pointed out, but even though he found Ginger a bit creepy, he was still kind enough not to wish her alone to take care of the entire clientele of Fangtasia. She couldn't tend bar anyway. "Eric could tend bar himself."

Anne Marie and Gran-mawmaw both laughed so hard at this thought that Belle squealed and clapped her hands, and laughed too. Sam sighed.

"I better go call Sookie," he said.

A few minutes before dark, Sam, Anne Marie, and Sookie got out of Sam's truck behind Fangtasia. Sam toted the big sack of lemons. It amused him that Ginger didn't even question the bag of fruit, but he had long since discovered that the blonde barmaid was missing one or two brain cells. He wondered how many times Eric and Pam had glamoured her, but decided it was better not to ask.

Sookie was in a fabulous mood, having apparently made up with Bill the night before. She had discussed this in detail with Anne Marie during the drive to Shreveport, leaving them very little time to talk about anything else.

"Ginger, did a plumber come by here today?" Sam asked, dropping the lemons behind the bar. "Anne Marie, honey, do you mind cutting these up? Sookie, you better look over the drink menu. There are all kinds of specials and fancy stuff we don't bother with at Merlotte's."

"But there's no food, so it should be easier," Sookie said cheerfully, picking up the menu. "Do I really want to know what's in a Fanged Fantasy?"

"It like a Singapore Sling," said Anne Marie, starting on the lemons.

"No, the plumber had to put us off til tomorrow, Sam," said Ginger.

Sam frowned. "Maybe you better call him again."

"You think there might be a fire?" Ginger worried.

Sam thought about Bloody Mary's, Christopher Santiago's New Orleans drag bar which had burned in a fire set by this Caroline who had supposedly set off the bomb in Fangtasia.

"There might be."

"Well, crap."

"I'll keep my ears open," Sookie told Sam quietly, and Sam knew that she meant more than her ears. He nodded, and when Ginger sashayed off to dust Eric's throne, he asked her very quietly if she could read fairy minds.

"I'm not sure," Sookie said honestly. "When she came to the trailer last night, I was so surprised that I didn't even try. It's hard with non-humans sometimes… and of course, impossible with vampires."

"You be glad for dat," said Anne Marie.

"We all need to look out for anyone having a reaction to the lemons," Sam said. "And Anne Marie and I can keep our noses open to the smell of rotten blood."

"It been smellin' like rotten blood in here ever since Elise walk through dat door," said Anne Marie. "Fainter now dat she gone, but still dere."

"That will make it harder," Sam agreed. He sighed. "Well, we have to do what we can."

"Wednesdays aren't very busy," said Pam as she and Pearletta strode into the room in their black lacy dresses. Pearletta's was very short and tight, and Pam's was long and filmy. Pam had on gold stiletto heels that made her the tallest person in the room. Sam noticed that her toenails were painted a pale shade of pink. As he always was when he saw his wife's cousin, Sam was struck by Pearletta's resemblance to Anne Marie, though the Cajun vampire had black hair instead of red and less freckles. Aside from that they had nearly identical features and curvy figures. "Sookie, Eric will be glad you're here."

"Thanks, Pam. I'm glad to be here," Sookie said. Anne Marie arched an eyebrow at her.

"Bill comin' by later?"

"He said he might." Sookie grinned.

Pam rolled her eyes. "Well, how delightful that you two have made up. Perhaps now Bill will be a little less of a bore."

"Bill's not a bore!" Sookie exclaimed.

"I suppose not everyone thinks so," said Pam, elegantly shrugging her shoulder. "Margaret certainly seems to have been enjoying his company this week while Eric was so… distracted… by that delicious morsel."

"What does that mean?" Sookie asked suspiciously.

Sam and Anne Marie exchanged a look. Sookie and Bill had just made up. If she thought Bill and Peggy had something going, that would fly right out the window. Sam wracked his brain for something to say which wouldn't make it worse.

"Time to open the door," Pearletta told Pam pointedly. "You take it first tonight. I done sat dere all night yesterday."

"Oh, by the way," said Ginger, trotting over to Pam and Pearletta, "I interviewed a few waitresses today and one of them is bound to work out. Pretty little thing named Caroline."


	25. Chapter 25

"I am starting to feel like your chauffeur, Eric," said Bill Compton as he turned his car out of the driveway and headed towards Shreveport. From the back seat where he was cuddled with Peggy, Eric chuckled.

"Whatever happened to that little hat Pam got for you?" the Viking vampire wondered aloud. "Maybe I should order livery."

"Really," said Christopher Santiago dramatically from the front passenger seat, "If you're going to do that, Eric, you ought to get a limousine. Bill's car is hardly suitable for a Sheriff to ride around in."

"I like my car," Bill said softly.

"It's a very nice car," Peggy said, because she didn't like Eric and Christopher picking on Bill. "And it's very generous of you to drive us back and forth to Fangtasia."

Bill met Peggy's gaze via the rear view mirror and she saw first a flash of heat, which both to her relief and her disappointment Bill quickly repressed, then a glint of amusement.

"You could chip in for gas," he said. Peggy knew he was kidding, but both Eric and Christopher looked offended.

"Well, of course! Do you have five dollars, Eric?" Peggy grinned as she looked into Eric's blue eyes and he shook his head.

"Very amusing, Margaret."

"Could it be that you actually have a sense of humor, Bill?" Christopher demanded. "I might have to completely reevaluate my opinion of you."

"Luckily, I will not have to do the same," Bill replied. Instead of being offended, Christopher chose to laugh.

"I take it that you and Sookie have mended your fences," said Eric, changing the subject.

"We talked some," Bill said shortly. He clearly didn't want to discuss his personal life with Eric, but Peggy knew that her lover wasn't going to let it go that easily.

"She forgave you for selling her house?"

"Mostly."

"Ah," said Eric in a knowing tone. "Is she able to come and work at Fangtasia tonight?"

"She said she would. She should be there already. She went with Sam and Anne Marie."

"Excellent," Eric sounded extremely pleased.

"It's kind of her to help out," Peggy said.

"What exactly are you hoping she will discover?" Christopher asked, arching a dark eyebrow. "You already know who set the bomb, and the fairy is unlikely to come strolling into a vampire bar."

"I am just glad enough to have her for her waitressing abilities," Eric said practically. "Drinks do not just serve themselves."

"There's always the chance that someone in the bar may have met the fairy and know where to find her," Peggy added.

The four of them fell into a silent thoughtfulness that lasted for perhaps half an hour. It was unusual for Christopher to be quiet, but Peggy wasn't complaining about that. Eric began to stroke her hair and snuggled her closer, his hands wandering possessively over her. It felt nice and made her feel loved and protected, until she saw that Eric had locked eyes with Bill in the rearview mirror.

At her glance, Bill looked away, but Peggy felt then a tight string of tension between the three of them. She and Eric were bound by blood, by more than that… did he know that she and Bill had inadvertently awakened something between the two of them? Did he realize how hard they had fought against it?

Peggy realized then what a dangerous predicament she had led Bill into. It was more than the fact that Sookie might not ever forgive him if she suspected what lay between him and Peggy. Eric might actually, really kill him.

But what did she want?

She looked into Eric's eyes and knew.

Eric bent and kissed her, claiming her mouth and her soul besides. The car swerved slightly and Peggy knew Bill had seen the kiss in the mirror. Eric lifted his head and smiled wickedly. Oh, he knew, Peggy thought. He knew everything. He also knew that she utterly belonged to him, and the stolen moments with Bill belonged to a shadow world that would never come to pass unless Eric chose to let her go.

From the look in his eyes, Peggy knew that letting her go was the last thing on Eric's mind.

"I'm very glad that Sookie has forgiven you, Bill," Peggy forced herself to say. "I know that she makes you very happy."

"Thank you," Bill said in a calm tone. "I am glad, too."

"Too bad she'll be dead in a hundred years," said Christopher, smirking.

"Perhaps Bill intends to make her a vampire," said Eric.

"Not unless it is what she wants," said Bill, turning the car into the driveway of Fangtasia.

"She doesn't," Peggy said.

"How do you know that?" Eric asked.

"She told me. I'm her friend. Friends tell each other things."

"I am sure you are a wonderful friend to her, Margaret," Eric replied, and then he was out of the car and opening the door for her, leaving her wading through guilt. He set his hand lightly on her back as they went through the employee entrance followed by Bill and Christopher.

Peggy heard music pulsing faintly as they entered the club. The song was "Voulez Vous" by ABBA, which reminded her that the disco ball had blown up and not been replaced. Fangtasia was open and the night was in full swing. Eric paused in the hallway. He turned to Bill and Christopher.

"You two go on ahead," he said. "I want to speak to Margaret privately. In my office. Now."

Bill straightened up, his hands balling into fists, his chin jutting forward, his posture simply antagonistic. He meant to protect her, Peggy realized, if Eric meant her harm. That alone nearly broke her heart. Eric did not react. He simply looked at Bill with a mild curiosity, while Christopher's head whipped back and forth so quickly as he looked from one to the other of them that Peggy feared it might fly off.

"Bill," Peggy said. One simple, loaded word.

A moment barely as long a heartbeat passed, though none of the four of them had hearts that beat any longer. Finally Bill turned and headed into the bar. Christopher shrugged and followed him, and Eric opened the door to his office. Peggy followed him inside and he closed the door behind her. Turning around, Eric blocked the door, and never before had Peggy been so aware of how thoroughly the Viking vampire could block a door.

Very well, then. She lifted her chin. Let Eric say whatever he wanted to say. She was not afraid of him. She was not afraid of anything he might do to her, and she was not afraid of losing him. Her love for him was overwhelming and pure, and the ghost of what she felt with Bill might haunt her, but never would it override what she felt for Eric.

Instead of speaking, Eric drew her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss went on and on, as neither of them needed to breathe. She lost herself in it, in the clash of their fangs and tongues. She felt his urgency trembling through him. For a moment she thought he was going to take her up against the door. He was certainly ready for it.

Eventually, however, he drew back.

"Do you love me, Margaret?" he demanded.

"Yes!"

"What has passed between you and Bill?"

"Nothing…" Peggy said, but she had to be honest. She and Eric were too well-tied for her to be able to hide anything from him, anyway. "A shadow. A friendship that took half a step in the wrong direction because we were lonely."

Eric looked thoughtful. His eyes were so large and blue, and they reminded her of the summer afternoon sky that she had not seen in three years. Like that sky, they were cloudless. He wasn't angry with her, and she was glad of that.

"You do not wish to leave me for Bill," he said. It was not a question, but she answered anyway.

"No. I never did."

"You felt I had abandoned you."

"No… but I feared that you would."

"For a human. A mere human." Now he sounded amused.

"I was a mere human only a few years ago," Peggy snapped. "I probably still would be if it weren't for Christopher!"

"No," Eric said sensibly, "You would be dead if it weren't for Christopher. The other kind of dead. I am glad you are not. I do not wish to abandon you. And I certainly do not want to see you with Bill Compton. Not now, not in a hundred years from now. What will it take for me to prove to you that you are mine?"

"You don't have to prove anything."

"I know," he said.

"Bill's back with Sookie now, anyway."

"Are you disappointed?"

Peggy thought about it. "I…don't know."

"I won't let you be," Eric promised. He kissed her again, less urgently, slow and seductive.

"Eric," Peggy whispered against his mouth, "I know I am yours… but are you mine?"

Eric chuckled. He nibbled at her lips, her cheek, her ear. She felt him open his mouth to reply, but before he could, an alarm rang and all hell broke loose.


	26. Chapter 26

Sam was preparing a particularly complicated drink order for one of Anne Marie's tables when the fire alarm went off.

"Dey say no lemons dis time," Anne Marie sighed as she came over to give Sam the order.

"Everyone gets lemons," Sam said seriously, though he didn't blame them. He was starting to get sick to death of slicing them.

"It's okay. Dey had some already. No one have any reaction. Help me out, Sam – my tips is sufferin'."

Sam smiled at his wife. He couldn't help it. "All right, all right. Sookie hear anything yet?"

"Not that she told me, but she been spendin' a lot of time over by Bill." Anne Marie sounded disapproving.

"You've been spending a lot of time over by me," Sam pointed out. Anne Marie gave him a pointed look.

"You the bartender."

Sam chuckled and started mixing the drinks. The young vampire party from New Orleans was back, and sitting opposite them were some ladies who obviously thought a table of available young men might have some interest in them. Based on the fact that Christopher Santiago had strolled in and over to them made Sam tend to think otherwise, but the ladies were ordering cocktails like they were going out of style.

Sam wasn't sure what to make of the fact that Santiago and Bill Compton had arrived together with no sign of Peggy and Eric. Bill had given him a nod from across the room and taken the booth he'd sat in with Peggy previously. Christopher had gone over to talk to the others and stayed to drink a True Blood with them.

Sookie went straight over to Bill when he came in, though to her credit she didn't ignore any of their other customers. She spent plenty of time talking to her husband, but none of Fangtasia's clientele suffered for it. Sam knew she was a complete professional, so he didn't worry about it.

What did Sookie know about Bill's flirtation with Peggy? Sam wondered. It occurred to him that he didn't know how far it had gone. For all he knew, Peggy and Bill could have made love hundreds of times. Not his business, even though all of them were all his friends. He didn't want to know.

To Sam's irritation, for the first time in months he thought about the erotic dreams he had had about Bill after he had to drink Bill's blood. He couldn't stop himself from remembering how intense those dreams had been. It was so real, the feeling of being in Bill's embrace, his touch and… enjoying it.

Sam shook his head, trying to think of anything else. Alas, into his head came the memory of the kisses he had once shared with Peggy. Oh, it was too easy to imagine what she and Bill were like together. He could easily understand their attraction to each other, and though he didn't care very much how Eric might feel, he did not want Sookie to be hurt.

Nothing he could do about it, he reminded himself.

"M'worried about Belle," Anne Marie said while Sam made the drinks. "Gran-mawmaw is wid her, but I still got all dis on my mind."

"I know, honey," Sam said. "I won't rest easy until this fairy is taken care of, either."

He tilted the drink shaker back and forth, looking around the club as he did. He thought he recognized the song playing as a hit by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Christopher Santiago looked amused and was tapping his foot. He reached up and adjusted his top hat just slightly. The vampires from New Orleans all seemed to be in his thrall. The lights in Fangtasia were low and red. The ambience was gothic and vampiric and just likely what Eric intended. His throne, though empty, glowed under a low spotlight.

Sookie and Ginger were both helping tables of humans. Everyone in the club seemed to be having a good time. Sam looked at his wife and smiled, and she winked at him. If only they both could relax. The music slowly morphed into an old tune Sam had once been very fond of, Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz."

Sam finished pouring the drink he was mixing when the alarm began to sound. He didn't spill it. It took him a long moment to figure out exactly what the sound was and why it was ringing.

"Fire alarm," he said.

"Ain't no fire," said Anne Marie, taking a deep breath. Sam knew she was sniffing for smoke. He didn't smell any either.

"Good thing," said Sam, who remembered again Elise's comment about the sprinklers and the fact that they had not been professionally examined.

The sprinkler system turned on. The smell was overwhelming, at least to Sam and Anne Marie. Blood began to rain down on them… rotten fairy blood. Sam stared at his wife in horror and her expression mirrored his.

It took less than ten seconds for all of Fangtasia to be drenched in blood. One second after that, all the vampires present were showing their fangs. One second after that, Sam knew that every human in the bar was in grave danger. They all smelled like rotten fairies. Though it made the shifters gag, it attracted the vampires.

"Sookie, Ginger! Run! Now!" Sam hollered. He looked at Anne Marie. "Sweetheart – get out of here."

"We got to get the humans out," she said.

"I'll do my best," Sam swore. "But you have to go!"

"What about you?"

Sam didn't answer. He ran out from behind the bar and urged his wife to run out the back hallway. Crimson rained down on them. It was sticky and smelly and Sam had to stop while Anne Marie threw up. As he was pushing her out the back door towards their truck, he heard screams from within the bar. He didn't have to see to realize that the vampires had begun to attack the humans. Ginger had come down the hallway after them, and Sam seized her by the arm and flung her out the back door after his wife.

He had to get to Sookie.

Sam ran back down the hallway, but before he got back into the main body of Fangtasia the door to Eric's office burst open. Eric came flying own, followed by Peggy. The two of them looked frightening, with flashing eyes and bared fangs.

They sped into the club, but to Sam's relief he realized that they were not attacking humans. They were tearing vampires off of them. Sam was impressed with Peggy's self-control. Surely the allure of the fairy blood was as strong for her as it was for the other young vampires. He decided immediately that the best he could do was try to save Sookie. Sam looked around for her wildly.

Sookie was trapped in the booth Bill had been sitting in by two young vampires from the New Orleans group. One was on either side of her, and she shrieked at them, kicking out with her sneaker. She got the one on her right directly in the forehead and he flew back a few inches. She was doing a fairly good job of defending herself, but the vampires were far stronger than the blonde waitress from Bon Temps. Sookie was going to need help.

Before Sam could get to her, Bill flung himself into the melee. The two attacking vamps were flung in either direction. Bill scooped up Sookie and zoomed out the back. When the two attackers recovered they looked around blindly and to his horror, focused on Sam.

Sam backed up against a wall, trying to inch his way towards the exit. He had no weapon, nothing he could use to defend himself. Any second now instead of creeping slowly towards him those vampires were going to launch themselves at him and Anne Marie would be left a widow.

"I'm a shifter!" Sam hollered at them. "I—I taste like a dog."

"You…what?" the vampire stopped, a confused look stamped on the fanged face. He was dressed in jeans and a dress shirt, but it was impossible to tell what color since everyone was fully drenched in red.

"Ugh, I hate the taste of shifter," said the other vampire, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"But he smells so good…" the other one whined.

"It's not me. It's that blood raining down from the ceiling – which is rancid, by the way," said Sam.

"I don't care. I'm going to eat you anyway," the vampire decided, but before he could execute his decision Eric grabbed him by the back of the neck and flung him aside. He turned to the second vampire and glared, and the other threw his hands up in surrender and stepped back.

"Thank you," Sam said, and he meant it.

"Get out, go home, and wash off that smell," Eric growled.

"Sounds good to me." Sam turned to hurry away. He didn't have to be told twice.

"And now, Sam Merlotte, we are even!" he heard Eric call after him.

Sam sighed inwardly, but that was just fine with him. It was probably better not to have Eric feeling like he owed Sam a favor. He headed outside and was relieved to see that Bill was guarding Sookie, Anne Marie, and Ginger. They were all still drenched in blood and Ginger was shaking in her heels and sobbing.

"What—happened!" she howled.

Bill sighed and caught her gaze. "Ginger," he said firmly, "I need you to calm down."

"How we gone drive home without getting blood all up in our car?" Anne Marie demanded.

"Honey, I don't know," Sam said. He ran a hand through his hair. It was sticky. Sam shuddered with revulsion.


	27. Chapter 27

Eric and Peggy stood back to back in Fangtasia. The music was still playing. Some Lady Gaga song, Peggy thought vaguely. Christopher loved Lady Gaga. The lights were still pulsing low and red. The floor was nearly black with a sticky layer of blood. It had finally stopped spewing out of the sprinklers.

Two of the vampires from New Orleans had met the final death, one staked, one decapitated. Five humans had died. Seven others had been glamoured and sent home. Pam, Pearletta, Bill, and Santiago had each managed to subdue one of the other vampires left in the club.

"It is over," Eric said, as much a command as a statement.

"Thank goodness." Peggy looked around the club for a moment then went over and turned off the music and turned on the lights. Fangtasia was a mess. She hurried back to her lover's side and grabbed his arm. "Oh, Eric."

Eric cursed in Swedish. Loudly.

Slowly everyone got to their feet, looking around, fangs extended. With all the humans gone, it was easier to regain self-control. Eric's voice boomed out across the club.

"I want everyone to pull themselves together. We have been poisoned by tainted fairy blood. We have to fight it."

The next hour went by in something of a blur. At some point, the sprinkler system turned on again but water rained down and began washing out the club. Peggy felt Eric's relief reflected within her. The bond between them seemed even stronger tonight and she was grateful for it.

"We are going to have to close down," Pam told Eric.

"Absolutely not," Eric replied stubbornly. "The ten of us can clean this place by morning. It will only have to dry…"

It was a long night.

When Peggy awoke at sunset the next evening, Eric was lying beside her, staring at her in a slightly disconcerting way. When she met his gaze, he smiled, and the slightly forced expression made her giggle. This in turn changed his smile into something natural. She wound her arms around him and kissed him. His hair was still damp, she noticed. They had had a long, long shower near dawn.

"I can't believe you have the club ready to open tonight."

"If our wait staff shows up," Eric said, nodding.

"I also can't believe you managed to keep the police away from what happened last night."

"Do you have no faith in me at all, Margaret?" Eric teased, but he was also preening.

"Is everything good between us, Eric?" Peggy whispered.

"Of course, my darling. And you know… I am yours. Always."

The sweet smell of the fairy blood, though they had showered for a very, very long time, still hung heavy between them. They made love, but even though they could not retract their fangs, neither bit into the other.

Later, as soon as they were dressed, they headed out to Fangtasia. It was early – Peggy knew they would be there before the club was scheduled to open – but Eric wanted to have a staff meeting. Peggy thought it would be more effective if he actually alerted the staff to this fact, but Eric seemed to take it for granted that everyone would come.

When they walked through the door, Peggy felt her fangs descend rapidly. The smell of the delicious fairy blood lingers and made her hungry. She looked at Eric and saw he also was fully fanged. He closed his eyes and fought for control. A moment later, he was able to retract his sharp teeth, but Peggy found she couldn't.

"I will get you a True Blood," he said. "It will help."

Eric had hired some sort of cleaning crew for an exorbitant amount of money, and though there was a certain amount of water damage, Fangtasia looked virtually unharmed. In fact, it was even cleaner than ever – only the smell lingered, and that would only be obvious to vampires and other supernaturals. Peggy was secretly glad that poor Ginger hadn't had to be in on the cleaning. At least, not as far as Peggy knew. Ginger was waiting for them when they arrived, beaming slightly maniacally.

"Hello, Master," she said to Eric, and Peggy tried very hard not to roll her eyes. Eric nodded at her, inspecting the club with satisfaction.

"Is Pam here?"

Yes," said Pam, strolling in with Pearletta. They both had their fangs out as well. Pam retracted hers with some struggle and annoyance, but like Peggy, Pearletta couldn't control hers either.

Peggy looked back and forth between them with the sudden suspicion that the two female vampires might have become closer than friends. Pearletta winked at her, which only seemed a confirmation. Peggy was surprised at her own little frisson of jealousy. She had always had a little attraction to Pam, herself. Eric looked at Peggy an arched an eyebrow. Nothing was lost on him, but what he thought about it was a mystery.

"Good," said Eric.

"We saw the others in the parking lot," Pam drawled.

As if to prove her claim, Sam, Anne Marie and Sookie emerged. Bill and Christopher were behind them, looking serious and amused in turn. She watched the two of them react to the smell and fight for control of their fangs. Peggy's eyes widened as she saw that Christopher was wearing what looked suspiciously like one of Bill's outfits – black pants, grey Henley style shirt, conspicuous absence of top hat. His long, dark hair had been blow-dried and framed his angular face in an unnatural cloud.

He looked at her and saw her mouth opening and raised a finger. "No, Princess. Don't ask," he said, and though his tone was serious, he smiled as if he found his fashion statement quite amusing indeed.

"Ginger," said Eric, "Have you heard back from this Caroline that wished to become a waitress? Did you tell her we wished to hire her?"

"She said she would come in tonight," Ginger said cheerfully. "I also have two others coming in. Hopefully at least two of them will work out."

"Hopefully," said Eric. "I want you to alert me immediately when she arrives."

"We will all smell her when she arrives," Pam pointed out. Eric gave her a sharp look.

"Perhaps not," said Bill. "All I can smell now is fairy blood. It may be rinsed away, but the odor has lingered."

"I don't think any fairy is dumb enough to come into a bar full of vampires," Sookie said, sounding frustrated.

"She right, her," Anne Marie agreed.

"We will see," said Eric. "Now…no vampires tonight. Humans only. If that group from New Orleans returns, tell them to go home."

"Eric," said Pam, "What good is a vampire bar with no vampires? Humans come here to see vampires."

"They will just have to be satisfied with the six of us."

And everyone, more or less, scurried to open Fangtasia. Eric and Peggy slid into a large booth, and she was surprised to see him motion to Bill and Christopher to join them. Peggy was glad Eric didn't take his throne. Maybe it was just that the wood had been warped by the water, but she was glad. She wanted to be near him tonight. He seemed to want the same. He slipped an arm around her and cuddled her close. Bill pretended not to notice, and Peggy pretended not to notice Bill not noticing. Christopher simply looked amused and delighted, then eventually bored.

Once they got a round of True Blood, controlling their fangs seemed to be much easier. If Peggy thought about the smell, or took a deep breath (something she was not obliged to do) her fangs came out. It was starting to be a bit embarrassing.

The conversation was stilted, and the evening seemed to crawl by. Though the faint scent of fairy blood lingered, no real fairy came into the club. After a while, Eric started to drum his fingers on the table. Christopher began to tell Bill a really long story about something that had happened to him a few hundred years ago. It was actually interesting and Peggy tried to listen, but she was far too anxious.

Eventually she excused herself and got up and went to the bar. Sam smiled at her as she approached.

"More True Blood?" he asked, reaching for the bottles.

"No, we're fine…"

"Then, what can I do for you, Peggy?"

"Just wondered if you had any thoughts as to what to do about this fairy."

"I wish I did," Sam said wistfully. "I can't tell you how worried I am about my little girl."

"She's with Anne Marie's grandmother?"

Sam nodded. "Maybe we shouldn't have come here…"

Peggy shrugged. "I don't really know."

They both fell silent and Peggy watched Sam slicing up a large pile of lemons. The scent of them was sharp to her nose. Come to think of it, Sam had been adding lemons to everything last night as well.

"What's with the lemons?"

"Anne Marie's grandmother says fairies are allergic to lemons," Sam said, shrugging slightly. "Thought we could roust out any who came in here. Just in case Caroline has any accomplices."

"Allergic to lemons?" Peggy arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, you know how vampires are allergic to garlic?" Sam replied, imitating her expression.

Peggy shook her head. "I suppose I haven't much thought about that."

"I figured I'd just smell any fairy who came in," said Sam, "But after last night, this whole place just smells like rotten fairies. The lemons are the only things keeping me sane." He lowered his voice. "Anne Marie's already been sick twice."

"Well, Sam, she should go home," Peggy said.

"She refuses."

Peggy sighed. Maybe she would just go seek out her friend and tell her to stop being so stubborn.


	28. Chapter 28

Sookie came over to the bar to pick up her order and smiled at Sam. He smiled back. "How's your evening going, Sookie?"

"Not bad," said Sookie, smiling.

Her blonde hair was scraped back into a pony tail and her outfit was similar to what she wore at Merlotte's except she had a red Fangtasia t-shirt instead of a white Merlotte's one. Eric had arched an eyebrow at her dressed-down look, which wasn't up to Fangtasia standards in his high and mighty opinion, but he had apparently been too occupied to tell Sookie to wear something different tonight. Besides, Sam knew that Sookie didn't give a fig for what Eric thought. He was lucky she had agreed to come in and work at all.

"I admit, it's a little less stressful with less vampires here," Sam confided as he pulled two beers for her.

"I don't know," Sookie said thoughtfully. "Vampires tip really well."

Sam chuckled and shook his head. "I, for one, will be glad to get back to Merlotte's."

"How much longer are you going to help out here?" asked Sookie.

"Pam is interviewing a few people tonight," Sam said, nodding as he saw the blonde vampire trailing across the bar with a hopeful fangbanger in tow. Her utterly bored expression wasn't encouraging. Ginger joined them at the bar as Sam gave Sookie her beers.

"Rum and Coke, Sam," said Ginger, smiling vapidly. "Hey, guess what? One of them vampires from New Orleans agreed to tend bar for a while. I think his name is Christian…"

"Oh, good," Sam said with relief, mixing the drink for her. "When does he start?"

"I'll check with Eric. I only wish that Caroline had come back for the waitress job, but she never showed. Oh, well." Ginger took the drink, winked at Sam, and sashayed off. Sookie came back a moment later and picked up the conversation where she'd left it.

"If Pam does some hiring, we could start getting Merlotte's ready for the grand re-opening tomorrow," Sookie said. "Two more Abitas."

"Grand re-opening, hm?" Sam liked the idea. He got two more beers for Sookie. "So you and Bill…" Sookie gave him a pointed look. "I'm sorry. I'm prying."

"That's okay, Sam. Bill and I are fine."

"What about the house? Are you going to sell it?"

"I haven't decided."

"Well," Sam said thoughtfully, "I was wondering if there was a chance that Anne Marie and I might rent it."

Sookie's eyes widened. "Rent it?"

"Then it would still belong to you."

"But Sam, you already own a trailer, and a lot of other places…those little apartments."

"Those are all rented out right now, and I was thinking of something a little bigger. Anne Marie and I are hoping to expand our family, some."

"Oh, Sam!" Sookie seemed thrilled by this thought. "Well, of course you can rent my house! It's a great idea. Thank you! When do you want to move in?"

"I'll have to talk to my wife, first. Sookie—let me tell her."

"I will…but I can't wait to tell Bill!"

"All right," said Sam. Anne Marie was coming towards the bar anyway. Might as well spring it on her now before anyone else did.

"Congratulations, Sam," Sookie beamed as Anne Marie approached. Anne Marie smiled at her in confusion. Sookie leaned towards both of them. "I think it's going to be twins this time."

She tottered off, leaving the two of them to stare at each other.

"Um," said Sam. "Are you…already?"

"Might could be," Anne Marie said thoughtfully, and then she began to beam. "Might could be, Sam Merlotte."

Luckily, the night passed without further incident or sign of Caroline the Fairy. When the bar closed, Eric gathered everyone around and thanked them for helping staff Fangtasia during their crisis. Sam had to admit that he was impressed the big blond vampire's manners in this case. He didn't expect much of Eric, despite how often he saw the vampire socially due to Peggy and Anne Marie's friendship.

"Bill, I am glad your sojourn at my house is over," Eric added pointedly. Bill nodded. Eric looked at Christopher. "If you wish to stay for some time, Santiago, your services here at Fangtasia will be required."

"You just hired a bartender," Santiago pointed out.

"You can host the floor show," said Eric.

"We have a floor show?" Pam drawled.

"I was thinking of hiring some dancers," Eric said.

"I can dance, me," Pearletta said hopefully. "That's better'n working the damn door all night."

"We can barely find waitresses and now you want dancers," Pam said, shaking her head.

"Yes," said Eric.

"Great, I'll get right on that."

"You do that. And now, I bid you a good night. Come, Margaret." Eric slid his arm around Peggy and led her out. The way they looked at each other made Sam smile. Who would have thought vampires had it in them to be deeply in love? Still, Sam knew that Peggy was a hell of a woman to look past all of Eric's character flaws and see something in him to love.

Sam didn't waste any time ushering his own wife out of Fangtasia and heading home.

They drove silently home from Shreveport. Anne Marie looked much better now that they had left Fangtasia and she had clean air to breathe. She seemed embarrassed by the sickness she had suffered so Sam didn't bring it up except to ask if she felt better.

"So glad to be home," she mumbled as they pulled up to the trailer behind Merlotte's.

"Me, too, honey." Sam was eager to check on the baby.

Dawn was approaching, and the crickets chirped loudly in the woods nearby. Sam was so tempted to go for a run and a dip in the lake before bed, but they had their daughter to see to. One light burned low inside the trailer, Gran-mawmaw keeping watch, no doubt.

Anne Marie pulled the door open and Sam followed her inside. Old Mrs. Boudreaux was asleep on the couch, snoring softly. The smell of fairy was still here, clinging to him and Anne Marie most likely, but it was fading and didn't smell quite as rank as it had before. Exchanging a fond look, they did not wake Gran-mawmaw as they tiptoed to Belle's bedroom to check on their daughter.

Belle's room was dark and Sam heard their daughter giggle. The little sound made him smile, but for some reason, the hair stood up on the back of his neck.

"Somethin' wrong," Anne Marie murmured. She brushed past Sam and turned on the light in their daughter's room.

"Mama!" Belle squealed when she saw her parents. "Daddy!"

She was standing up in her crib, clutching the side rail with one hand. In the other chubby little fist, she clutched a slice of lemon. Sam realized that she was nearly too big for the crib and would need a real bed soon. That thought and the sight of the lemon had barely registered when he realized what was lying on the floor beside the bed.

"Oh sweet Jesus," said Anne Marie.

Caroline the fairy was dead on the floor.

From behind Sam came in his grandmother-in-law's shuffling step. She paused next to Sam in the doorway and looked down, clucking her tongue.

"I tole you lemons was poison to dem fairies," she said, shaking her head.

"How did she get in here?" Sam asked in bewilderment as his wife picked up Belle and shielded her from the sight of the corpse.

"I suspect I didn' smell her due to the stank of fairy on the two o'you and all over dis house," Gran-mawmaw said. "No wonder she slipped past. She had good cover, her. Well, doan jes stand dere, Sam. You pick her up, and Anne Marie, chile, fetch a shovel."

Later, covered in dirt, their problem hopefully buried for good, Sam had a thought. They never had found out who put the jar of roaches inside the kitchen cupboard at Merlotte's.

[the end]


End file.
